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94704 


This  book  may  be  kept  out  TWO  WEEKS 
ONLY,  and  is  subject  to  a  fine  of  FIVE 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.  It  is  due  on  the 
day   indicated   below: 


23Apr'58^ 


^M — n.iis — Fnrm  a 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

NCSU  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/beeshoneyormanagOOnewm 


INDEX  or  THE  CHAPTERS. 


Page. 

NATruAi,  lIisToiiv  OF  Bees ii 

IntroducUon 1 1 

The  Races  of  Bees 13 

The  Queen  Bee —  13 

The  Drone  Bee Ifi 

The  WorkerBee 17 

Brood 19 

Production  of  Wax  and  Comb. . . 

Pollen,  or  Bee-Brend 

Propolis,  or  Bee  Glue 24 

Establishment  OK  ax  Apiaky 

situation  and  ArranKement 

Bee-Keepinn  a  Science 

Who  Should  Keep  Bees 

Suitable  Ivocation 

Which  Way  Should  Hives  Face. . 

When  toCoinnience 

How  Many  Colonies  to  begin  with 

Kemovinn  Bees 

What  Kind  of  Bees  to  Get 

Buyini:  Swarms 

How  to  Care  for  a  First  Colony. . 

Bees  Kept  on  Shares 

Bees  Markins  their  Location 

ChanKinK  the  l-oc»tlon 

Will  Bees  Injure  Fruit? 

Cleansinu  Combs  of  Dead  Brood 

Ants  in  the  Apiary 

liemoving  Propolis  from  Hands. 

Hi  vKS  and  Surplus  Receptacles 

What  Hive  to  Use 

The  LnnKstroth  1  live 

Production  of  Choice  Honey 

Single  Comb  Honey  Sections 

One-Piece  Honey  Sections 

Cases  for  Holding  Sections 

Making  Hives  and  Surplus  Bo.ves 

PuonrcTio.N  an'dCareofHonev. 

Preparation  for  the  Market 

How  Should  Honey  be  Marketed 

Assort  anil  Grade  the  Honey 

How  to  Get  Bees  out  of  Bo.\es.   . 

Management  of  Comb  Honey 

Honey  in  Unglassed  Sections 

I  land  I  nig  and  Shipping... 

Candied  I'omb  Honey 

Management  of  K.\ traded  Honey 

Honey  Must  be  Ripened 

Metal  Corners  for  Crates 

Putting  the  Glass  in  the  Sections 
Honey  as  a  Commercial  Product 

MA.NAr.E.MENTOF  AN  APIAUV 

Luck  or  Sclontitjc  Management. 

'I"he  Italian  Bees 

Italianizing  the  Apiary 

Introducing  u  Queen 

Inserting  a  Queen-(;ell — 

Nucleus  Colonies 

Dividing  the  Colonies 


I'AGE. 

Management  of  rin  Ainary—continued. 

Swarming;  how  to  Control  it 67 

How  to  Hive  a  Swarm fii) 

The  Loss  of  the  Queen R9 

What  are  Fertile  Workers. 71 

Tninsferring  from  Bn.\  Hives....  72 

Transferring  from  Frame  Hives.  74 

Uniting  Weak  Colonies 74 

('lipping  the  Queen's  Wing 7.5 

Washing  Out  Drone  Brood 75 

Jiemoving  Bees  from  the  Combs.  75 

Preparing  Bees  for  Shipment 7f> 

Igniting  <  'olonies  in  the  Spring. . .  78 

How  to  Separate  Swarms 78 

Robber  Bees 80 

Feeding  Bees 80 

Quieting  and  Handling  Bees 82 

ShippingandlntroducingQueens  85 

Bee  Dysentery 87 

Foul  Brood  Disease 8^ 

HONEV  E.XTRACTOR  AND  ITS  USE.  .      8t 

The  Invention  of  the  E.xtractor..    89 

When  to  Use  the  E.xtractor 92 

How  to  E.xtract 93 

CO.MH  FOUNDATION  AND  ITS  Use   ..     95 

Invention  of  Comb  Foundation..    97 

Preserve  the  Wax 99 

Comb  Foundation  Not  Artiflcjal      99 
Fastening  Foundation  to  Frames  100 

Bee  Pastckage  a  Necessity  103 

Trees  for  Shade  and  Honey    ....  104 

Plants  for  Field  and  Roadside. . .  108 

I'lants  for  Honey  E.xclusively  ...  115 

Honey  I'lants  for  Decoration....  119 

I.MPKOVEMENT  IN  Bees 131 

The  Bee  of  the  Future 132 

Lengthening  the  Bee's  Tongue.    133 

lIoxEY  AND  Bee  Snows 1.35 

Exhibitions  at  Fairs 135 

Effect  of  Bee  and  Honey  Shows..  138 

THE  WINTERING  OF  Bees 141 

Chaff  Packing  for  Winter 142 

Preparing  Cellar  for  Wintering..  144 

Hnuse  for  Wintering  Bees 145 

Wintering  Bees  in  Clamps 146 

GENERAL  ADVICE  TO  Beginners..  i4r 
General  Information  Necessary    147 

Selecting  a  Location 147 

Plan  for  an  Apiary 148 

Adopt  a  Standard  Frame 149 

Keep  an  Apiary  Register 149 

Increase  by  Division 149 

Artificial  Swarming 152 

Preparing  Feed 1.53 

Guard  Against  Overstocking !54 

Provide  Continual  Honey  Bloom  154 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  has  been  computed  that  in  our  World,  the  different 
species  of  living  animals  number  over  a  quarter  of  a  million. 
Among  this  vast  concourse  of  life,  we  tind  much  food  for 
thought  and  meditation,  but  for  instructive  lessons  none  can 
rival  the  marvelous  transformations  that  insect  life  imder- 
goes  in  its  processes  of  development ! 

The  repulsive  maggot  of  to-day,  may  to-morrow  be  the 
active  little  tly,  visiting  leaf  and  flower,  in  merry  and  sportive 
mood  !  The  repugnant  caterpillar  of  to-day,  may  to-morrow, 
as  a  cluysalis,  be  decked  with  green  and  gold,  awaiting  its 
speedy  transformation  to  the  butterfly,  of  brilliant  tints  and 
gorgeous  beauty. 

Such  transformations  give  us  a  faint  idea  of  the  glorious 
state  of  existence  that,  we  are  assured,  awaits  humanity, 
after  its  passage  beyond  the  present  state  of  existence  !  We 
are  informed  that ''  its  glories  and  pleasures  untold  "  will  be 
fully  realized  by  the  pure  and  the  good— yet  of  its  realization 
we  can  have  no  adequate  conception  !  While  in  the  present 
state  of  development,  like  the  chrysalis,  awaiting  the  next 
transformation,  we  may  but  inquire—"  What  shall  it  be  to 
be  there  V"    For— 

"  Dreams  cannot  picture  a  world  so  fair. 
Sorrow  and  death  may  not  enter  there  : 
Time  cannot  breathe  on  its  fadeless  bloom— 
h  ar  beyond  the  clouds,  and  beyond  the  tomb- 
It  is  there  !    It  is  there  ! !" 

This  is  not  a  whit  more  wonderful  than  are  the  transforma- 
tions from  the  egg  to  the  tiny  larva,  from  the  larva  to  the 
pupa,  and  from  the  pupa  to  the  fully  developed  Honey  Bee, 
with  Its  wondrous  instincts  and  marvelous  habits !  The 
student  never  ceases  to  wonder  and  admire,  as  he  turns  over 
leaf  after  leaf  of  ''the  book  of  nature,"  devoted  to  this 
mterestmg  msect.  Indeed,  there  is  a  fascination  about  the 
Apiary,  that  is  trulv  indescribable  ;  but  even  that,  richly 
rewards  the  apiarist  for  all  the  time  and  labor  bestowed  upon 
1  •  „^,^'^iT  scientific  Bee-keeper  is  an  enthusiast.  The  won- 
derful economy  of  the  Bee  Hive,  from  its  very  nature, 
presents  to  the  thoughtful  student,  both  admiration  and 
delight  at  every  step  ! 

,  A  single  bee,  with  all  its  industry,  energy,  and  the 
innumerable  journeys  it  performs,  will  collect  only  about  a 
tea-spoonful  of  honey  during  one  season— and  yet  more  than 
one  hundred  pounds  of  honey  is  often  taken  from  one  hive  I 

D    H.  HIUL  LIBRARY  94704 

North  Carolina  State  College 


INTRODUCTION. 

Does  not  the  contemplation  of  tliis  fact  teach  us  a  protitable 
lesson  of  what  great  results  may  arise  from  persevering  and 
associated  labor  V 

When  we  view  the  skill  exhibited  in  the  building  of  the 
beautiful  comb— so  true  in  form,  so  wonderfully  systematic 
in  construction,  and  all  completed  by  a  crowd  of  bees  in  a 
dark  hive— and  often  at  night,  without  the  aid  of  sun,  moon 
or  stars— we  are  ama/ed  at  the  skill  of  these  wonderful 
ai"chitects  ! 

In  fructifying  the  tloweis,  too,  bees  present  us  with  a  field 
of  study  so  extensive  that  we  dare  not  enter,  further  than  tcj 
say  that  but  for  their  oft-repeated  visits,  many  a  beautiful 
llower  would  in  a  short  time  cease  to  bloom — aye,  and  also  to 
live  !  Many  plants  absolutely  require  the  visits  of  bees  or 
other  insects  to  remove  their  pollen-masses,  and  thus  to 
fertilize  them.  Hence.  Darwin  wisely  remarks,  when  speak- 
ing of  clover  and  heart 's-ease  :  "•  Xo  bees,  no  seed ;  no  seed, 
no  increase  of  the  tlower.  The  more  visits  from  the  bees, 
the  more  seeds  from  the  tlower ;  the  more  seeds  from  the 
tlower,  tlie  more  flowers  from  the  seeds."  Darwin  mentions 
the  following  experiment:  "Twenty  heads  of  white  clover, 
visited  by  bees,  produced  2.990 seeds;  while  twenty  heads  so 
protected  that  bees  could  not  visit  them,  produced  not  one 
seed.-'' 

Thus  is  infinite  Wisdom  displayed  by  Nature  on  every 
hand  !  Nothing  is  created  in  vain  ;  each  has  its  proi)er 
sphere,  and  each  its  api)ropriate  work  to  perform.  We 
admire  "  the  grand  harmony  of  design,"  and  in  meditative 
mood  we  are  soon 

"Li)st  in  wonkier,  lovo  and  praise  I" 

Tlien  we  may  seem  to  hear  the  merry  hum  of  myriads  of 
insects,  mingling  with  the  joyous  song  of  thousands  of 
beautiful  birds  adoring  their  Creator  in  Matin  Song — all 
Nature  joining  in  the  chorus  of  praise— singing— 

"  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine  I" 

As  the  song  ascends  to  Heaven,  billions  of  i)lants.  and 
shrubs,  and  trees,  and  flowers  burst  intoljloom,  and  bid  their 
sweet  perfume  to  unite  with  Nature's  Chorus,  and  present  a 
"  thank-offering''  to  the  (ireat  Father  of  all.  "  who  openeth 
His  hand,  and  satislieth  the  desire  of  every  living  thing." 


WHAT    IS    HONEY? 


it  is  a  vegetable  product,  not  made,  but  gathered  from  flowers 
where  it  is  secreted  according  to  the  rules  of  Nature's  laboratory. 
Each  flower  yields  honey  of  its  own  peculiar  flavor,  which  is  generally 
easily  recognized.  No  article  for  human  consumption  can  be  more 
delicious  than  Honef,  and  none  is  more  beneficial  to  the  hiiman 
sjstem.      Honey  is  food  in  one  of  its  most  concentrated  forms. 

Honey  in  tlie  Comb. 

Within  the  past  fe^v  years  many  improved  methods  ana  appliances 
have  been  inveineil  to  im  cease  the  production  of  Comb  Honey. 

Honey  is  now  produced  by  the  bees,  in 
small  sectional-boxes  (see  engraving), 
with  the  cells  capped,  ready  to  grace  the 
table  and  tempt  the  palate  of  every  lover 
of  that  delicious  article — Comb  Honey. 

These  "sections  "  of  honey  are  taken 
from  the  hive  just  as  finished  by  the  bees, 
crated  and  placed  upon  the  market. 

An  inventive  genius  lately  started  the 
story  that  combs  were  being  made  of 
paraflSne,  filled  with  glucose,  and  sold  for 
comb  honey.  That  is  afa!M'hood,  admitted 
l>y  its  author  when  proof  was  demanded. 

Honey  Exti*acted  front  tlic  Ck»ntl». 

Pure  Extracted  Honey  is  obtained  by  shaving  off  the  delicate 
cappings  of  the  cells,  putting  the  combs  into  the  little  revolving 
basket  of  a  Honey  Extractor  (see  engi-aving),  and  then 
by  revolving  the  "basket  containing  the  comb,  by  means 
of  the  crank,  the  honey  is  thrown  out  by  centrifugal 
force,  runs  down  the  sides  of  the  Can,  and  drawn  off 
and  put  into  jars,  pails,  or  any  desirable  receptacle. 
Extracted  Honey  is  the  pure  liquid — minus  the  comb. 

Some  ask  :      "How  can  Extracted  Honey  be  sold 
cheaper  than  that  in  the  Comb— if  it  is  pui"e  ■"'     We 
reply,   Because   the   comb  is   of  naore  value   than  the 
honej'  ;   for  it  takes  from   15  to  20  lbs.  of  honey  to  V^'^^ 
produce  one  pound  of  comb.      By  improved  methods  ].  '?A(^'^ 
we  compel  the  bees  to   build  straight  combs  in  frame;^ 
these  can  be  removed  in  an  instant,  the  bees  brushed  [ 
off,  the  honey  exti-acted,  and  the  combs  returned  to  the) 
hive  to  be  again  filled  b}"  the  bees. 

Cirannlated.  or  Candied  Honey. 

Almost  all  pure  honey  will  granulate  when  exposed 
tor  some  time  to  light  and  cold.  The  granulated  state 
is  one  evidence  of  purity. 

Granulated  honey  can  be  reduced  to  its  liquid  state  in 
a  few  moments  by  placing  the  can  or  jar  in  waitn 
water.  When  thus  liquefied,  it  so  remains  for  a  time, 
but  will  again  candy. 

Northern  honey  candies  sooner  than  Southern. 

WItat  is  Strained   Honey  ? 

"Strained  Honey  "which  will  not  granulate  or  candy,  is  nearly 
always  glucose,  with  enough  honey  to  flavor  it,  and  thus  deceive. 

Consumers  help  to  impose  upon  themselves  by  the  false  idea  that 
pure  honey  will  not  granulate  ;  they  desire  liquid  honey,  and  dealers 
will  supply  it.  Much  of  that  remaining  liquid,  is  a  Very  inferior 
article,  composed  largely  of  glucose,  surrounding  a  piece  of  comb. 


Effect  of  Honey  on  the  Human  System. 

« » ♦-•-• — — 

The  masses  do  not  realize  the  value  of  honey  from  a  hygienic 
eland-point,  else  it  wiold  have  more  than  kept  pace  wi  th  sugar  as 
an  article  of  human  consumption. 

Dr.  Vance  makes  such  very  excellent  remarks  on  this  subject  that 
we  can  do  no  better  than  to  give  them  entire  :  "  Honey  is  a  physio- 
logical sweet ;  in  other  words,  its  constituents  are  such  that  it  is 
absorbed  into  the  blood  \vithout  undergoing  chemical  change.  Such 
is  not  the  fact  with  regard  to  sugar.  Sugar  is  indigestible,  or  rather 
not  as  suscei)tible  of  absorption  and  assimilation  as  honey,  l)ut  it 
requires  the  action  of  the  gastric  juice  to  split  or  invert  its  elements, 
the  muriatic  acid  element  of  the  gastric  juice  being  the  chief  agent 
in  this  chemical  transportation.  This  change  produces  what  is 
tenned  in  chemistry  dextrose  and  laevulose.  I  jjresume  this  explana- 
tion does  not  convey  a  very  clear  or  definite  idea  of  the  nature  of 
these  products,  for  the  names  applied  only  indicate  how  they  affect 
pt)larized  light.  After  this  change  occurs,  absorption  takes  place. 
If  in  any  way  it  is  hindered,  or,  on  account  of  an  excess  of  sugar 
above  the  capacity  of  the  gastric  juice  to  transform,  there  remains 
a  residue,  the  result  is  decomposition  into  elements  that  irritate  and 
inflame  the  mucus  membrane  of  the  intestinal  canal,  producing  a  list 
of  ailments  too  numerous  to  mention  here.  Think  of  the  legions  of 
little  ones  who  have  been  the  victims  of  their  imiversal  fondness 
for  sweets,  and  who  so  frequently  sufl'er  from  the  gastric  troubles 
which  are,  in  a  large  degree,  the  result  of  sugar  indigestion.  How 
many,  many  children  have  perished  from  eating  candy  1 

"The  importance  of  sugar  as  an  element  of  food  may  be  inferred 
from  the  large  proportion  of  the  elements  of  our  food  which  is 
transformed  by  the  action  of  the  digestive  organs,  into  the  con- 
stituents of  sugar.  Consider  the  proportions  of  bread,  potatoes  and 
vegetables  that  we  consume  daily,  all  of  which  must  undergo  this 
saccharine  change  before  they  are  suitable  to  be  appropriated  by  the 
human  system  ;  it  may  give  an  approximate  idea  of  the  amount  of 
these  elements  that  are  required  to  nourish  our  bodies. 

"If,  therefore,  the  saccharine  comprises  so  large  a  part  of  the 
elements  of  our  food,  does  it  not  become  an  important  question  as  to 
'what  form  of  sweet  is  the  most  appropriate  and  healthful  for  the 
nutrition  of  the  human  body  i  For  the  reasons  I  shall  hereafter 
enumerate,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  will  agree  with  me  that  honey  is 
the  most  important  and  the  most  healthful,  V)ecause  it  is  absorbed 
into  the  system  without  change,  and,  because,  unlike  sugars,  it  does 
not  easily  undergo  fermentation.  The  formic  acid  which  is  an 
ingredient  of  honey,  prevents  chemical  change  and  the  morbid 
processes  arising  from  decomposition  of  sugar. 

"  Let  me  repeat  the  points  of  difference  in  ordinary  sugars  and 
syrups,  and  their  comjmrative  inferiority  to  honey  as  a  saccharine 
food  :  Honey  is  an  inverted  sugar  consisting  of  laivulose  (fruit- 
sugar)  and  dextrose  (starch-sugar)  and  readily  alisorbed  into  the 
system  without  being  acted  upon  by  the  gastric  juice,  converting, 
as  it  is  expressed  in  chemical  language,  inverting  it  into  dextrose 
and  laevulose,  before  it  is  susceptible  of  absorption  and  assimilation 
in  the  blood.  When  thus  acted  upon  by  the  digestive  organs,  it  is 
assimilable,  but  in  case  of  weakness  of  digestion,  this  action  does  not 
occur,  and  decomposition  is  sure  to  follow.  Honej'  is  not  only  a 
delicious  form  of  sweet,  but  is  a  very  healtLfui  and  nutritious  form 
of  food.  It  aids  the  natural  functions  of  the  alimentary  canal.  It  is 
recommended  by  those  who  have  thus  used  it,  as  a  I'evreshing  drink, 
diluted  with  water  in  the  pi'oportion  of  from  2  to  5  per  cent." 

Pure  honey  should  always  be  freely  used  in  every  family — ^HoneJ 
eacen  upon  wheat  bread  is  very  ))eueticial  to  health. 


Bees  and  Fruit— I'ses  of  Honey. 

:o: 

Rfe^  4N-D  FKriT.— Bees  do  not  puncture  Fruit,  as  some  assert. 
When  fruit  is  overripe,  or  the  skins  of  grapes  are  bursted.  the  bees 
wiU  sometimes  appropriate  the  juice,  greatly  to  theii- detriment 
when  no  honev  can  be  gathered.  Such  juices  soon  sour  m  the  hives 
and  become  unfit  for  the  food  of  bees  in  wmter-and  disease^and 
death  is  the  result.  Manv  bee-keepers  also  raise  fruit  and  their 
testimonv  universallv  agi-ees  with  the  statement  here  made. 

On  the  other  hand."be?s  are  the  bestfi-iends  of  the  growers  of  small 
fruit  Thev  fructifv  the  flowers,  and  cause  the  fruit  to  mature; 
Wereitnot'for  the  bees,  and  other  insects,  to  fertilize  the  flowers, 
the  trees  and  vines  would  cease  to  bear  fruit,  and  become  useless 

In  a  certain  town  in  New  England,  so  strong  was  the  belief  that 
bees  iniured  the  fruit,  that  an  ordinance  was  passed,  obligmg  the 
bee  keepers  to  remove  their  bees  to  another  locality.  After  a  year 
or  two  the  fruit-growers  decided  to  have  the  bees  brought  back, 
because  so  little  fruit  matured  ur">n  the  trees. 


HoxET  Cakes. 
—To  3  eggs  well 
beaten,  add  l^j 
cups  of  extracted 
honey.  1  cup  sour 
cream  or  butter- 
milk. ^ -j  teaspoou- 
ful  of  soda,  and  o 
cups  of  flour,  to 
which  was  added 
1  tea-spoonful  of 
baking  powder. 
Bake  in  jell  pans 
and  put  together 
with  lemon  paste 
made  as  follows : 
In  the  juice  of  1 
lemon  dissolve  1 
table-spoonful  of 
coru-starch,  pour 
on  it  1  -2  a  cup  of 
boiling  water,  ^-2 
cup  of  extracted 
honey,  and  one 
table-spoonful  of 
sugar 


N^^V 


HoxET  Fruit 
Cake.  —  Take 
li.i  cups  honey 
'-;5  cup  butter, 
'  ^  cup  of  sweet 
milk,  3  eggs 
well  beaten,  3 
cups  of  flour,  2 
tea  -  spoonfuls 
baking  powder 
3  cups  raisins, 
1  tea-spoonful 
each  of  cloves 
and  cinnamon. 

Hon'eyLabel 
Paste.  —  Stir 
wheat  flour  in 
cold  water  and 
leave  no  lumps 
— pour  on  boil- 
ing water,  and 
stir  it  until  it 
boils.  Use  hot 
or  cold.  When 
cold,  resembles 
hasty  pudding. 


U*es  for  Honey.— In  all  ages  honev  has  been  used  for  manv  pur- 
poses. The  Ancient  Britons  used  it  to  make  mead,  and  this  drink 
continued  to  be  much  used  hundreds  of  years  after  them.  A\  hen 
malt  liquors  became  popular,  and  when  sugar  was  introduced  then 
the  use  of  honey  decreased,  but  lately  it  has  increased  materially. 

Honev  is  largelv  used  in  the  manufacture  of  honey  chocolate- 
creams'and  honef  chocolate-tablets.  There  is  a  delicious  taste  of 
the  honey  in  these  articles,  but  they  are  so  judiciously  blended  with 
the  other  materials  that  they  are  not  too  sweet.  .    .^,       , 

Honev  is  also  now  generallv  used  by  the  confectionei-s  in  the  place 
of  suo-arin  manv  kinds  of  lozenges,  cough  drops  and  other  sweet- 
meats Glvcerine  and  honev  jujubes  for  the  throat :  corn  and  honey 
food:  herbal  tablets,  etc..  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  things  which 
might  be  mentioned.    In  the  toilet,  it  is  used  in  soap  and  dentifrice 

There  are  manv  persons  who  are  not  aUowed  to  use  sugar  at  all ; 
to  these  honev  c6mes  as  a  boon.  It  is  a  curious  thing  to  note  that 
even  the  an<^ier  now  uses  honev.  and  natural  honey  fash-bait  is  put 
down  in  the°list  of  necessaries  for  the  modem  complete  angler. 


BEESWAX  AND  HONEY. 


How  Beeswax  is  Made  by  the  Bees,  is  described  thus:  "It  is  no 
mere  extraneous  substance  which  needs  only  to  be  collected  for  use ; 
it  is  a  bit  of  individual  organic  home  manufacture.  If  you  examine 
the  under  surface  of  a  cell-building  worker-bee,  you  will  find  beneath 
the  abdomen  four  i)airs  of  white  jjlates  ])rojecting  from  as  many 
pockets  in  the  incasing  rings  of  this  part  of  the  body.  These  are  the 
wax  plates,  made  from  the  life-blood  of  the  worker.  Examine  now 
with  a  lens  one  of  the  hinder  legs.  You  will  find  that  the  stoutest 
joints  are  very  s(juare-shouldered  at  the  hinga,  and  that  the  hinge  is 
well  over  to  one  side,  so  that  the  shoulders  form  a  pair  of  jaws, 
which  open  when  the  limb  is  bent,  and  close  when  it  is  straightened. 
The  upjjer  jaw  has  a  row  of  spines  which  bite  on  a  plate  on  the  lower 
jaw.  With  thisajiparatus,  piercing  in  with  these  spines,  the  worker- 
V)ee  withdiaws  a  wax  plate  from  its  pocket,  transfers  it  to  the  front 
legs,  and  thence  to  the  mouth,  where  it  is  laboriously  masticated 
with  a  salivary  secretion.  Unless  it  undergoes  this  process  it  lacks 
the  ductility  requisite  for  cell-making.'' 

of  one  part  of 
dextrose  and 
three  parts  of 
dextrine  —  a 
gummy  sub- 
stance used  in 
stiffening  cali- 
coes and  gum- 
ming postage 
stamps.  Dex- 
trine is  never 
found  in  pure 
honey.  A  test 
of  dextrine  is 
the  solution  of 
sub-acetate  of 
lead,  or  Gou- 
lard's water, 
found  at  any 
drug  store. — 
This  precipi- 
tiites  the  dex- 
trine in  any 
mixture  as  a 
thick  white 
c  u  r  d,  which 
floats  in  the 
liquid, 
its  color.    This 


Honey    and  •    J'.H 

GLrcosE.— The 
former  is  verj' 
different  from 
the  glucose  of 
commerce. 

Honey  is  a 
mixtrn-e  very 
nearly  in  eiiual 
parts  of  dex- 
trose and  lacu- 
lose.  The  dex- 
trose is  what 
granulates — is 
the  same  kind 
of  sugar  as  is 
found  dried  in 
raisins,  and  is 
a  b  o  u  t  %  as 
sweet  as  cane 
sugar.  Thelac- 
ulose  will  not 
candy,  and  is 
sweeter  than 
cane  sugai". 

Glucose  from 
starch  isainix- 
ture  general]}- 

The  same  solution  put  into  honey  does  not  chang 
simple  test  is  very  striking,  and  always  reliable. 

To  Detect  Beeswax  Adulteration. — When  beeswax  is  chewed, 
says  an  expert,  it  should  have  no  disagreeable  taste,  and  must  not 
stick  to  the  teeth.  In  the  adulterated  wax,  the  nature  of  the  foreign 
material  can  generally  be  detected  by  the  taste ;  the  addition  of  fat 
can  generally  be  readily  detected.  If  it  sticks  to  the  teeth,  the 
presence  of  resin  may  be  assumed.  A  simple  method  of  detecting 
the  presence  of  fat  in  wax  consists  in  molting  it,  and  placing  a  drop 
on  a  piece  of  woolen  cloth.  After  it  is  perfectly  cold  and  solidified, 
pour  on  a  few  drops  of  90  per  cent,  of  alcohol,  and  rub  the  cloth 
between  the  hands.  The  wax  will  be  converted  into  dust,  and  will 
easily  separate  from  the  cloth  if  it  contains  no  fat,  and  will  leave  no 
stain ;  when  it  contains  fat,  it  will  leave  grease-spots. 


HONEY    POT-POURRI. 


Hum-sweet-hum — that  of  the  honey-bee. 

To  purify  beeswax,  melt  and  cool  slowly  over  a  body  of  water. 

It  is  at  a  "  quilting-bee  "  where  you  bear  the  "  stinging  "  remarks. 

Put  honey  in  your  tea  to  sweeten  it,  and  if  you  are  troubled  with 
gravel,  it  will  cure  it. 

The  first  bees  brought  to  America  were  landed  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in 
1670,  by  some  Englishman. 

A  tea-spoonful  of  warm  honey  taken  every  15  minutes  has  a 
surprising  effect  on  catarrh. 

Diphtheria  and  sore  throat  in  the  early  stages  can  be  cured  by 
honey  taken  warm,  or  in  food. 

Onion  juice  instantly  applied  will  allay  the  pain  caused  by  the 
stings  of  bees  or  other  insects. 

Honey  is  one  of  the  purest  sweets  used,  and  when  its  healthfulness 
is  considered,  it  is  the  cheapest. 

What  is  the  difference  between  a  honey-comb  and  a  honey-moon? 
The  one  is  a  lot  of  small  cells,  and  the  other  is  one  great  sell  ? 

Substitute  Honey  for  sugar  in  the  Recipes  given  in  your  cook-book, 
and  j^ou  will  vastly  improve  the  flavor. 

What  is  the  difference  between  a  bee  and  a  donkey?  One  gets  the 
honey,  and  the  other  the  whacks  (wax). 

If  a  boy  wishes  to  know  whether  the  bees  see  or  not — let  him  put 
his  finger  into  the  entrance  of  a  bee-hive ! 

The  constant  use  of  honey  is  without  the  slightest  danger,  even 
during  an  epidemic  of  cholera.    It  cures  constipation. 

A  school-teacher  asked  a  boy  to  pronounce  s-t-i-n-g-y.  Before 
doing  so  he  asked  whether  it  was  to  be  applied  to  a  man  or  a  bee. 

Public  speakers  should  freely  use  honey.  The  formic  acid  which 
it  contains  cures  affections  of  the  mouth,  throat,  lungs  and  chest. 

Doctors  use  honey  for  many  purposes,  and  some  doctors  are  good 
bee-keepers;  and  the  pui'ity  of  their  medicines  may  be  guaranteed. 

The  pain  and  swelling  consequent  upon  the  stinging  of  a  bee,  will 
leave  if  bathed  with  equal  i^arts  of  the  tincture  of  aconite,  laudanum 
and  chloroform. 

Because  cheap  cane  sugars  have  been  taken  into  the  stomach  in 
unreasonable  quantity,  the  liver  has  been  unable  to  transform  them, 
resulting  in  disordering  both  organs. 

Bread  broken  up  in  a  bowl,  covered  first  with  honey  and  then  with 
a  thick  cream,  and  eaten,  will  permeate  the  organs  of  taste,  and  give 
the  whole  system  a  feeling  of  ecstasy  and  delight.  Cream  neutralizes 
any  ill  effects  the  sweetness  may  produce  in  the  human  stomach. 

Children  would  rather  eat  bread  and  honey  than  bread  and  butter; 
one  pound  of  honey  will  reach  as  far  as  two  pounds  of  butter,  and 
it  is  far  more  healthy  and  pleasant  to  the  taste.  It  always  remains 
good,  while  butter  becomes  rancid,  and  often  produces  cramp  in  the 
stomach,  eructations,  sourness,  vomiting  and  diarrhea. 

The  magnitude  of  the  industry  of  "bees  and  houey"  can  be 
estimated  by  the  fact  that  there  are  in  North  America  300,000 
who  keep  bees,  and  if  these  apiaries  average  but  10  colonies  each, 
the  number  of  colonies  reaches  3,000,000,  and  if  these  produce  but 
the  very  small  average  of  30  pounds  of  honey  per  colony,  then  the 
product  is  90,000,000  of  pounds  of  honey,  worth  $10,000,000 
and  if  each  colony  of  bees  yields  but  one  pound  of  beeswax  yearly, 
then  the  wax  product  at  20  cents  per  pound,  is  worti"^  $600,000. 


ITALIAN  BEES 


(^UEEN. 


^-Z/ 


m 

WORKER. 


DROXE. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  HONEY  BEE. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Every  apiarist  should  be  well  informed,  not  only  on  the 
habits,  but  also  on  the  Natural  History  of  the  Honey  Bee. 

Man's  primeval  state,  no  doubt,  absolutely  demanded 
honey — therefore  to  have  neglected  to  produce  such  a  crea- 
ture as  the  Honey  Bee,  so  essential  to  the  comfort  of  man, 
"  for  whom  all  things  were  made,"  would  have  been  totally 
discordant  with  the  well-known  principles  of  universal  and 
Divine  benevolence.  Could  any  song  of  birds  in  Eden's 
enchanting  bower  surpass  the  mellifluous  hum  of  the  busy 
Bee  ?  Could  any  sportive  gambol,  circling  flight,  sudden 
dart,  or  graceful  curve  of  bird  on  the  wing,  equal  the  grace 
and  beauty,  the  action  and  the  science  of  her  aerial  sports 
or  daily  duties  ?  Could  the  combined  aroma  and  symmetri- 
cal form  of  the  thousands  of  '•  the  flowers  of  Paradise  "  com- 
pare with  the  sweetness  of  her  honey  or  the  garniture  of  her 
store  house?  Could  any  portion  of  "the  garden,'  which 
Adam  was  directed  to  ''dress  and  keep,"  present  greater 
attraction,  or  have  stronger  claims  upon  his  protection  and 

care  ?  .  .     c 

"While  Honey  was  "from  the  beginning  among  tlie  tirst 
of  sweet  things,  and  the  sweetest  of  first  things,  given  by  the 
Creator  to  man, — sugar  is,  separated  from  its  source  and 
prepared  for  use  by  the  hand  of  man,  but  of  modern  birth  !— 
For  thousands  of  years  Honey  was  man's  only  sweet,  and 
source  of  nourishment,— but  only  for  a  short  time  has  sugar 
had  its  partial  sway— and  that  alone  in  modern  times.  The 
former  was  the  creation  and  gift  of  God  !  The  latter  is 
the  invention  of  man  ! 

No  historian  has  been   able   to   transmit    to    our  day,   a 


12  BEE    Cl'LTI-RE. 

description  of  the  riale  home  tliat  Noah  provided  for  the 
bees  that  he  carried  into  the  ark,  nor  tell  us  if  Abrahams 
l)ees  were  kept  in  log-gums  or  box  hives,  but  it  is  recorded 
that  the  land  where  Abraham  dwelt — Canaan — was  one 
"flowing  with  milk  and  honey;"and  when  the  old  Patriarch, 
because  of  the  famine  that  prevailed  there,  sent  his  sons  to 
Egypt  to  buy  corn,  he  sent  as  a  present  to  the  Egyptian 
ruler  some  of  Canaan's  famous  honey. — Gen.  43  :  11. 

We  may  well  conclude  that  Canaan's  honey  was  then  as 
famous  as  in  subsequent  ages  was  the  honey  from  Mount 
Hymettus,  in  Greece. 

The  earliest  mention  of  honey  as  an  article  of  commerce, 
is,  that  the  Jews  were  engaged  in  trading  it  at  Tyre,  that  old 
and  honored  mart  of  trade  in  Phoenicia. — Ezek.  27  :  17. 

Sirach,  who  lived  about  the  time  of  the  re-building  of  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem,  speaking  of  the  necessaries  of  life, 
mentions  honey,  with  flour  and  milk. 

The  Persians,  Grecians  and  llomans,  used  honey  quite 
extensively  as  an  article  of  diet  ;  they  also  used  it  largely  in 
preparinc/  their  food,  and  by  it,  most  of  their  beverages  were 
sweetened. 

Ancient  Sages,  among  whom  were  Homer,  Herodotus, 
Cato,  Aristotle,  Yarro,  Virgil,  Pliny  and  Columella, 
composed  poems  extolling  the  activity,  skill  and  econoniv  of 
bees,  and  in  more  modern  times,  among  such  authors  have 
been  Swammerdam,  a  German  naturalist ;  Maraldi,  an  Italian 
mathematician  ;  Schirach,  a  Saxon  priest ;  Keaumur,  inventor 
of  a  themometer  ;  Bonnet,  a  Swiss  entomologist ;  Dr.  John 
Hunter  ;  and  Francis  Huler,  who,  though  totally  blind,  was 
noted  for  his  many  minute  observations,  by  the  aid  of  his 
assistant,  Burnens,  which  caused  quite  a  revolution  in 
ancient  theories  concerning  the  Honey  Bee.  He  was  also 
a.ssisted  by  Mdle.  Jurine,  who,  by  delicate  microscopic 
examinations,  rendered  important  service  not  only  to  Huber, 
but  al.so  to  future  generations. 

But  space  forbids  us  to  enumerate  all  the  apiarists  of  the 
present  age — prominent  among  whom  we  may  mention 
Dzierzon,  Yon  Berlepsch,  Leuckart,  Yon  Siebold,  Sir  John 
Lubbock,  the  Rev.  L.  L.  Langstroth,  Samuel  Wagner,  M. 
V^uinby,  Adam  Grimm,  J.  S.    Harbison,   Capt.  J.  P].  Hether- 


BEE    CULTLRE.  13 

ington,  Professor  A,  J.  Cook,  and  a  mighty  host  of  others, 
who,  through  faith  in  scientific  research  and  devotion  to 
experiments  and  manipulations,  have  wrought  wonders  with 
their  Bees.  "Pulling  down  the  strong-holds"  of  old-fog}- 
opposition,  they  "waxed  valiant  in  fight"  against  all  forms 
of  ignorant  and  fossilized  theories,  consigning  them  to  a 
burial  with  the  f;\l)acies  of  past  ages — and,  lus  if  by  magic 
wand,  they  have  bidden  modeni  ideas  and  scientific  manage- 
ment of  the  Apiary  to  "  arise  and  t^hi/ie,"  sending  benign 
influences  to  the  very  ends  of  the  earth  ! 

THE  RACES  OF  BEES. 

Of  the  different  races  of  the  Honey  Bee,  the  German  or 
black  bee  is  the  most  numerous,  though  it  is  not  older  than 
the  Italians,  which  were  known  to  the  ancients  several  hun- 
dred years  before  the  Christian  era,  and  are  mentioned  by 
Aristotle  and  Virgil.  The  Egyptian,  Carniolan,  Cyprian 
and  Javan  bees  are  but  little  known  in  this  country.  The 
Italian  being  the  favorite  because  of  its  docility,  activity  and 
captivating  beauty. 

A  COLO>n-  OF  BEES. 

In  its  usual  working  condition,  a  colony  of  bees  presents 
a  scene  of  the  most  lively  interest,  not  only  to  the  naturalist, 
but  also  to  every  curious  observer.  Such  a  colony  will  con- 
tain a  fertile  Queen,  thirty  to  forty  thousand  workers,  and 
in  some  seasons,  a  few  hundreds  of  drones. 

THE  QUEEN. 

The  Mother  Bee,  as  she  is  called  in  many  countries, 
especially  in  Italy,  is  the  only  perfect  female  in  the  Colony, 
and  is  the  mother  of  it.  Her  only  duty  is  to  lay  the  eggs  for 
the  propagation  of  the  species.  She  is  a  little  larger  around 
the  body  than  the  ^Vorker,  but  not  as  large  as  the  Drone. — 
Her  body  is  longer  than  the  Worker,  but  her  wings  are  only 
about  two-thirds  of  the  length  of  the  body,  her  abdomen 
gradually  tapering  to  a  point.  She  has  a  sting,  but  uses  it 
only  upon  royalty. 

The  Queen  usually  leaves  the  hive  only  when  accompany- 
ing a  swarm,  and  when  a  few  days  old.   to  meet  the  drones, 


14 


BEE   CULTURE. 


for  the  purpose  of  becoming  fertile.  Once  becoming  such 
she  is  so  for  life,  though  she  often  lives  three  or  four  year*. 
On  her  return  to  the  hive,  after  meeting  the  Drones,  if  she 
has  been  fecundated,  the  mule  organs  may  be  seen  attached 


Fig.  1. — The  Queen  liec,  magnijicd. 

to  her  abdomen.  In  about  two  days  after  thus  mating  with 
the  Drone  she  will  commence  to  lay  eggs,  and  she  is  capable 
of  laying  two  thousand,  or  more,  eggs  per  day. 

Instinct   teaches  the   Workers   the   necessity  of  having  a 
Queen  that  is  prolific,  and  .should    she   become   barren  from 


Fig.  2. — Head  of  Queen,  magnijied. 

any  cause,  or  be  lost,  they  immediately  prepare  to  raise 
another  to  take  her  place.  This  they  do'by  building  Queen 
^•ells,  and  if,  when  these  are  about  one-half  completed,  the 
Queen  has    not  deposited   eggs  in  any  of  them,  they  take 


BEE   CULTURE.  15 

eggs  from  worker  cells  and  supply  them.  By  feeding  the 
embryo  Queen  with  royal  jelly,  the  egg  that  would  have  pro- 
duced a  Worker,  had  it  remained  in  a  Worker  cell,  becomes 
a  Queen. 

The  Ovaries  of  the  Queen,  occupying  a  large  portion  of 
the  abdomen,  will  be  found  to  be  two  pear-shaped 
bodies,  composed  of  IGO  to  180  minute  tubes,  the  tubes 
being  bound  together  by  enveloping  air  vessels.  These  are 
the  ovaries,  of  which  a  highly  magnified  view  is  here  given. 


Fig.  3. — The  Ovaries  of  the  Queen. 

The  germs  of  the  eggs  originate  in  the  upper  ends  of  the 
tubes  which  compose  the  ovary,  and  the  eggs  develop  in  their 
onward  passage,  so  that  at  the  time  of  the  busy  laying  season, 
each  one  of  the  tubes  will  contain,  at  its  lower  end,  one  or 
more  mature  eggs,  with  several  others  in  a  less  developed 
state  following  them.  These  tubes  terminate  on  each  side 
in  the  oviduct,  through  which  the  egg  passes  into  the 
vagina  ;  and,  in  the  cut,  an  egg  will  be  seen  in  the  oviduct, 
on  the  right.  (Fig.  3).  A  globular  sac  will  be  noted, 
attached  to  the  main  oviduct  by  a  short,  tubular  stem. 
A  French  naturalist,  M.  Audouin,  first  discovered  the  true 


in  BEE    CLLTUKE. 

cliaracter  of  this  sac  as  the  spcrmathcca,  wliich  contains  the 
male  semen  ;  and  Prof.  Leiickart  computes  its  size  as  suffi- 
cient to  contain,  probably,  twenty-five  millions  of  seminal 
filaments.  It  seems  hardly  possible  that  so  large  a  number 
should  ever  be  found  in  the  spermatheca,  as  it  would  r('(|uire 
nearly  twenty  years  to  exhaust  the  supply,  if  the  <|ueen 
should  lay  daily  2000  ejrgs,  305  days  in  the  year,  and  each 
eug  be  impregnated.  Each  egg  which  receives  one  of  the 
seminal  filaments  in  passing,  W'ill  produce  a  worker  or  queen, 
while  an  unimpregnated  egg  will  produce  only  a  drone.  The 
spermatheca  of  an  unfecundated  f|U(!en  contains  only  a  trans- 
parent li((uid  with  no  seminal  filaments,  and  the  eggs  of  such 
a  (|ueen  produce  only  drones. 

The  Queen  usually  lays  from  February  to  October,  but 
early  in  the  spring  she  lays  sparingly.  When  fruit  and 
flowers  bloom,  and  the  bees  are  getting  honey  and  pollen,  she 
lays  more  rapidly. 

THE  DRONES. 

These  are  non-producers,  and  live  on  the  toil  and  industry 
of  others.     They  are  the  males,  and  have  no  sting — neither 


Fig.  4. — Tlie  Drone  Bee,  magnified. 
have  they  any  means  of  gathering  honey  or  secreting  wax,  or 
doing  any  work  that  is  even  necessary  to  their  own  support, 
or  the  conuuon  good  of  the  colonv. 

The  Drones  are  shorter,  thicker  and  more  bulky  than  the 
Queen,  and  their  wings  reach  the  entire  length  of  their 
body.  They  are  much  larger  and  «dumsier  than  the 
"Workers,  and  are  covered  with     short  but  fine  hair.     Their 


BEE    CULTURE.  17 

buzzing  when  on  the  wing  is  much  louder  and  differs  from 
the  others.  Their  only  use  is  to  serve  the  Queen  when  on 
her  "bridal  trip." 

Xot  more  than  one  in  a  thousand  is  ever  privileged  to 
perform  that  duty,  but  as  the  Queen's  life  is  very  valuable, 
and  the  dangers  surrounding  her  flight  are  numerous,  it  is 
necessary  to  have  a  sufficient  number  of  them,  in  order  that 
her  absence  from  the  hive  may  not  be  protracted.  After 
mating,  she  returns  to  the  hive  a  fertile  Queen  for  life. 

The  Drone  in  the  act  of  copulation  loses  his  life,  dying 
instantly.     At  the  approach  of  the  swarming  season  they  are 


Fig.  o. — Head  of  Drone,  magnified. 

reared  to  fertilize  the   young  Queens ;  after  that  is  accom- 
plished, they  are  mercilessly  destroyed  by  the  Workers. 

Should  a  colony  lose  its  Queen,  the  Drones  will  be 
retained  later ;  instinct  teaching  them  that  without  the 
Drone,  the  young  Queen  would  remain  unfertilized,  and  the 
colony  soon  become  extinct. 

THE  WORKERS. 

These  are  undeveloped  females,  and  they  do  all  the  work  that 
is  done  in  the  hive.  They  secrete  the  wax,  build  the  comb, 
gather  the  pollen  for  the  young,  and  honey  for  all  ;  feed  and 
rear  the  brood,  and  fight  all  the  battles  necessary  to  defend 
the  colony. 

Of  the  three  kinds  of  bees,  these  are  the  smallest,  but 
constitute  the  great  mass  of  thf   population.     They  possess 


18 

the  whole   rulino 


BEE    CLLTURE. 


of    the    colonv    and    rej'ulatc    its 


power 
economy. 

The  workers  are  provided  with  a  sac  or  honey-bag  ;  there 
is  a  small  cavity  on  their  posterior  legs,  (Fig.  48,  A.)  in  whicn 
ihey  store  the  pollen  of  flowers  in  very  small  lumps,  being 


Fig.  6. — 2'lie  Worker  Bee,  magnified. 

the  most  convenient  form  in  which  to  carry  it  home.  They 
are  also  provided  with  a  sting,  which  they  use  only  for 
defense. 

They  gather  honey,  which  is  a  secretion  in  many  flowers — 
pollen,  which  is  the  farina  of  various  plants,  and  which  ijc 
largely  used  in  forming  bee-bread,  and   also  propolis  or  bee- 


FiG.  7. — Head  of  Worker,  magnified. 
glue,  a  resinous  substance  that  is  used  in  fastening  the  combs 
to  the  sides  of  hives,  and  to  fill  cracks  or  open  places. 

Many  persons  entertain  the  idea  that  the  Worker  bees  live 
many  years.  Their  conclusion  is  drawn  from  the  fact  that 
colonies  iidiabit  the  same  hive  for  a  long  period  ;  but  the 
natural   life  of  the  Worker  honey-bee  does  not  exceed  six 


BEE    CULTURE, 


19 


months,  and  from  recent  experiments  it  is  ascertained  that  it 
does  not  exceed  six  or  eight  weeks  in  the  height  of  the  honey 
season.  Those  reared  in  the  fall,  having  little  out-docr  work 
to  nerforui.  will   live  till   the   spring.     None  of  them   die  or 


Fig.  S. — Anterior  Ley  of  Worker,  maynified. 

old  age,  but  the  majority  work  themselves  to  death,  and  many 
are  killed  through  other  causes. 

BROOD. 

The  egg  is  laid  by  the  Queen,  in  the  bottom  of  the  cell  :  in 
three  days  it  hatches  into  a  small,  white  worm,  called  larva, 
which  being  fed  by  the  bees,  increases  rapidly  in  'size  ;  when 
this  larva  nearly  fills  the  cell,  it  is  closed  up  by  the  bees. 


Fig.  9. — Eyys  and  Brood. 
The  time  usually  taken  for  this  process  is  eight  days  for  the 
Worker  or  Queen,  and  94-  days  for  the  Drone. 

The  Workers  will  developfrom  the  egg  in  21  days ;  gath 
eiing  honey  from  about  16  days  after  emerging  from  the  cell. 
The  Drones  will  hatch  in   24  days,    and  if   the  weather  is 
propitious  they  will  •%"  in  a  few  days  after.     The  Queens 


20  BEE   CULTURE. 

mature  in  IG  days,  and  are   al)le   to  fly   in  a  lew  liours  after 
emerging  from  the  cell. 

Until  the  17th  day  the  workers  seem  only  to  be  fit  for  the 
work  of  the  hive.  Before  that  age  they  seldom  leave  the 
],ive — their  labors  being  confined  to  the  building  of  the 
comb,  nursing  the  brood,  feeding  the  larvae,  capping  brood 
and  honey  cells,  &c. 

PRODUCTION  OF  WAX  AND  COMB. 

This  subject  is  an  intensely  interesting  study.  Before 
the  time  of  Huber,  it  was  generally  supposed  that  wax  was 
made  from  bee-bread  ;  but  Huber  fully  demonstrated  that 
bees  could  construct  comb  from  honey,  Avithout  the  aid  of 
bee-bread.  But,  oxygen,  being  the  support  of  animal  heat, 
■is  essential  to  bees  while  building  comb,  because  an  extraor- 
dinary amount  of  heat  must  be  generated,  to  enable  them  to 
soften  the  wax  and  mould  it  into  such  delicate  forms. 

AVe  her(^vith  present  a  cut  of  the  under  surface  of  the  Bee, 
showing  the  wax  formation  between  the  segments  : 


Fig.  U).— Under  surfaceof  Worker, shoroing  Waxin  Segments. 

Dr.  J>Onhoff  states  that  in  new  comb  the  thickness  of  the 
sides  of  the  cells  is  but  the  180th  part  of  an  inch!  Such 
delicate  work  is  hardly  conceivable  ;  and  yet,  bees  often 
make  it  in  the  dark,  on  cool,  cloudy  days,  or  in  the  night — 
appearing  never  to  rest. 

Prof.   Duncan,   professor   of  Geology  in  King's  College, 


BEE   CULTURE.  21 

London,  in  his  work  on  the  "  Transformation  of  Insects," 
remarks  as  follows  on  this  interesting  subject : 

"  The  production  of  wax  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
physiological  phenomena  of  the  organization  of  these  Hy- 
menoiytera.  It  was  generally  thought,  formerly,  that  the 
bees  disgorged  their  wax  from  the  mouth,  and  Reaumur 
certainly  held  this  opinion  ;  but  John  Hunter  discovered  the 
manner  in  which  the  wax  was  formed  ;  and  it  is  now  evident 
that  the  bees  carry  within  themselves  this  important  building 
material.  The  segments  of  the  abdomen  of  bees  overlap 
from  before  backwards,  but  when  the  margin  of  one  is  lifted 
up,  two  broad  and  smooth  surfaces  will  be  noticed  on  the 
uncovered  surface  of  the  next  wing  ;  these  surfaces  maintain 
during  one  part  of  the  year  two  thin,  white,  and  almost  trans- 
parent lamina),  which  are  really  composed  of  wax.  The  wax 
is  really  seci'cted  by  some  small  glands  which  are  within  the 
abdomen,  and  it  transludes  through  the  soft  and  smooth 
integument  between  the  rings  or  segments.  It  would  appear 
that  the  sugary  matters  which  are  sucked  and  digested  by 
the  bees  are  to  a  great  extent  transformed  into  wax,  which 
is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  sort  of  fat." 

A  writer  in  Scribners  Montldy  thus  describes  the  manner 
of  comb  building  in  a  new  swarm  : 

'■  When  a  swarm  of  bees  is  about  to  leave  its  old  home 
and  seek  another,  each  bee  fills  itself  with  honey.  After 
entering  their  new  home,  the  gorged  bees  suspend  themselves 
in  festoons,  hanging  from  the  top  of  the  hive.  They  hang 
motionless  for  about  2-i  hours.  During  this  time  the  honey 
has  been  digested  and  converted  into  a  peculiar  animal  oil, 
which  collects  itself  in  scales  or  lamina?  beneath  the  abdomi- 
nal rings.  This  is  the  wax.  One  of  the  workers,  called  the 
founder,  then  draws  from  its  own  body,  by  means  of  its 
clawed  foot,  a  scale  of  wax.  This  it  breaks  down  and  crum- 
bles, and  works  with  its  mouth  and  mandibles  till  it  becomes 
pliable,  and  it  then  issues  from  the  mouth  in  the  form  of  a 
long,  narrow  ribbon,  made  white  and  soft  by  an  admixture  of 
saliva  from  the  tongue.  IMeanwhile  the  other  bees  are 
making  ready  their  material  in  the  same  way.  On  the  ceiling 
of  the  hive  an  inverted,  solid  arch  of  wax  is  built,  and  from 
this  the  first  foundation  cells  are  excavated,  all  the  subse- 


22  BEE   CULTURE. 

f|uont  ones  being  built  up  and  around  these,  which  are 
usually  throe  in  number.  The  size  and  shape  of  the  cell  is 
determined  by  its  future  use ;  but  all  comb  is  formed  of  two 
sheets  of  cells  placed  back  to  back,  the  partition  walls  of  the 
two  sheets  always  alternating  with  one  another.  If  th(! 
comb  is  intended  for  brood,  25  cells  of  worker-brood,  and  1(> 
of  drone,  go  to  the  square  inch." 

Neighbour,  in  his  work  on  "The  Apiary,"  says  : 
"  Wax  is  the  animal  fat  of  the  bees,  and  to  produce  it 
requii'es  a  considerable  consumption  of  honey,  to  supply  the 
drain  upon  the  system.  To  be  capable  of  passing  through 
the  pores  of  the  abdomen,  the  wax  must,  no  doubt,  be  a 
liquid,  oily  matter,  which,  on  making  its  aj)pearance  outside 
the  abdominal  rings,  thickens,  and  exudes  from  under  the  4 
medial  ones,  in  flakes  like  fish-scales,  one  on  each  side  ;  so 
that  there  are  8  of  these  secreting  cavities,  which  are  pecu- 
liar to  the  worker,  not  being  found  either  in  the  queen  or 
drone. 

"  The  rapidity  with  which  comb-building  progresses  would 
lead  to  the  supposition  that  there  is  a  division  of  labor  among 
bees,  just  as  laborers  convey  building  material  to  the  artisans 
on  the  scaffold  above.  This  work  of  comb-building  is  carried 
forward  in  warm  weather,  for  a  cold  temperature  interferes 
with  the  secretion  of  wax.  Von  Berlepsch  declares  that  he 
has  known  cases  in  which  a  colony  has  built  300  square 
inches  of  comb  in  a  single  night !" 

The  Rev.  L.  L.  Langstroth  remarks  as  follows  : 
"It  is  an  interesting  fact,  which  seems  hitherto  to  have 
escaped  notice,  that  honey-gathering  and  comb-building  go 
on  simultaneously  ;  so  that  when  one  stops,  the  other  ceases 
also.  As  soon  as  the  honey-harvest  begins  to  fail,  so  that 
consumption  is  in  advance  of  production,  the  bees  cease  to 
build  new  comb,  even  although  large  portions  of  their  hives 
are  unfilled.  AVhen  honey  no  longer  abounds  in  the  fields, 
it  is  wi.sely  ordered  that  they  should  not  consume  in  comb- 
building,  the  treasures  which  n)ay  be  needed  for  winter  use. 
What  safer  rule  could  have  been  given  them  ?" 

With  all  our  ingenuity  and  skill,  we  have  been  entirely 
unable  to  ecjual  the  bees  as  builders.  Only  fancy  what 
delicate  work  it  takes  to  produce  comb,  the  180th  part  of  an 


BEE    CULTURE. 


23 


inch  thick  ! !  True,  we  take  the  wax  tliey  produce,  melt  it 
up  spread  it  into  sheets,  and  then  configurate  it.  showing 
the  base  or  foundation  of  the  cells— but  there  our  inventive 
oenius,  for  the  present  at  least,  "  takes  a  rest.'  In  compan- 
ion with  their  workmanship,  ours  is  as  a  thick  sheet  ot 
wrapping  paper  to  a  delicate  sheet  of  tissue  paper  ! 

It  is  estimated  that  it  takes  about  5  pounds  of  honey  to 
produce  one  pound  of  wax  ;  it  is  therefore  all-important  that 
all  srood  pieces  of  comb  should  be  preserved  and  given  again 

to  the  bees. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  cells  in  a  lave.  riic  smaller  ones 
are  hexagonal,  and  a  little  more  than  one-fifth  of  an  inch  m 
diameter^and  are  called  Worker  cells  ;  the  larger  ones  of  the 
same  shape  are  one-b.urth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  are 


Fig.  11.— i<'/a*/K  of  Brood. 
called  Drone  cells.  These  cells  may  be  seen  illustrated  in 
Fio-  11  The  smaller  or  Worker  cells  being  shown  at  the 
top'-  the  larger  or  Drone  cells,  at  the  bottom.  The  other 
cells  of  difterent  size  and  shape,  (see  Fig.  11.)  are  Queen 
cells':  one  is  shown  in  the  centre  of  the  engTaving,  and 
four  more  on  the  left.  They  extend  vertically  or  diagonally 
downwards,  and  very  much  resemble  a  peanut  in  fomi  and 
gize— they  are  simplv  the   birth-place    of   Queens,  and  are 


24  BEE    CULTURE. 

only  built  in  swarming  time,  or  when  tlie  colony  is  rearing  a 
Quoon.  The  AVorker  or  Drone  cells  are  used  not  only  for 
brood-rearing,  but  also  for  storing  honey  and  pollen,  or  bee- 
bread. 

At  first  when  the  combs  are  built,  they  are  generally  trans- 
parently white,  but  with  age  and  use  for  brood-rearing  they 
become  dark  and  opaque.  The  thin  cocoons  lining  the  cells, 
help  to  make  them  so;  such  are,  however,  just  as  valuable 
for  breeding  purposes  for  a  long  time,  or  until  the  size  is 
materially  diminished,  thereby  causing  dwarfed  brood.  It  is 
also  valuable  for  storing  honey,  where  the  Extractor  is  used. 

POLLEN    OR    BEE    BREAD. 

This  is  the   fertilizing  dust,  or  fine  meal-like   substance, 
which  the  bees  procure  from  the  stamens  of  flowers.     When 
deprived  of  bloom,  they  will  take  flour  in  lieu  thereof.     Bees 
collect  pollen  and  carry  it  in  their  pollen  baskets  (Fig. 43,  A.) 
to  the  hive  and  store  it  for  daily  or  future  use. 

When  mixed  with  honey  it  is  used  to  feed  the  young ; 
older  bees  use  it  also  for  food,  to  elaborate  wax,  &c. 

Bees  only  gather  one  kind  of  pollen  at  a  time.  "While 
diff'erent  bees  may  carry  in  several  colors  at  the  same  time, 
the  pellets  on  any  one  bee  will  be  all  alike. 

Bees  require  water  when  comb-building  and  brood-rearing 
is  going  on,  and  should  have  access  to  it. 

PROPOLIS    OR   BEE    GLUE. 

This  is  also  collected,  like  pollen,  by  the  bees,  from  resin- 
ous buds,  and  is  used  for  fiistcning  combs,  coating  uneven 
surfaces,  and  filling  up  cracks  within  the  hive.  They  also 
sometimes  use  it  in  hermetically  sealing  up  any  off'ensive 
matter  that  may  be  too  burdensome  for  them  to  remove  from 
their  hives. 


THE  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  AN  APIARY. 


SITUATION,    STOCKING    AND   ARRANGEMENT. 

An  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  elegant  habits  of  Bees, 
presistentl}-  enquires,  Did  any  one  ever  sufficiently  admire — 
did  he,  indeed,  ever  notice  —  the  entire  elegance  of  the 
habits  and  pursuits  of  bees  ?  their  extraction  of  nothing  but 
the  quintessence  of  the  flowers ;  their  preference  for  those 
that  have  the  finest  and  least  adulterated  odor ;  their  avoid- 
ance of  everything  squalid  (so  unlike  flies)  ;  their  eager 
ejection  or  exclusion  of  it  from  the  hive,  as  the  instance  of 
carcasses  of  intruders,  which,  if  they  cannot  drag  away,  they 
cover  up  and  entomb  ;  their  love  of  clean,  quiet,  and  delicate 
neighborhoods  —  thymy  places  with  brooks;  their  singularly 
clean  arrangement  of  so  liquid  and  adhesive  a  thing  as 
honey,  from  which  they  issue  forth  to  their  work  as  if  they 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it ;  their  combination  with  honey- 
making,  of  the  elegant  manufacture  of  wax,  of  which  they 
make  their  apartments  ;  their  orderly  policy  ;  their  delight 
in  sunshine  ;  their  apparent  indiff"erence  to  anything  regard- 
ing themselves,  apart  from  the  common  good  ? 

BEE-KEEPING   A    SCIENCE. 

To  succeed  in  any  calling,  we  must  first  gain  a  reasonable 
amount  of  knowledge  of  the  science  upon  which  are  founded 
the  rules  of  that  art.  Bee-keeping  is  a  science,  having  for 
its  object  the  attainment  of  a  correct  knowledge  of  all  that 
pertains  to  the  habits  and  instincts  of  these  wonderful  in- 
sects ;  and  a  practical  art  which  regards  all  the  attainments 
thus  made  as  the  only  reliable  basis  of  successful  bee-culture. 
Therefore,  to  make  the  pursuit  both  pleasant  and  profitable 
we  must  possess  the  requisite  knowledge  of  the  law^s  that 
govern  these  industrious  creatures. 


D.   H.  HILL  LIBRARY 

North  Carolina  State  College 


26  BEE   CULTURE. 

Reading  and  study  ns  well  as  experience  and  observation 
are  essential  to  obtain  this  knowledge.  The  lacking  of  these 
things  will  account  for  the  many  failures  of  those  wliose 
enthusiasm  is  not  supported  by  experimental  knowledge  ! 

Every  apiarist,  therefore,  must  read  and  study,  in  order  to 
practice  the  art  with  pleasure  and  profit. 

WHO    SHOULD    KEEP   BEES  ? 

Many  embark  in  this  occupation  who  should  not ;  being 
better  adapted  to  some  other.  Only  those  should  do  so  who 
are  fond  of  the  study  of  nature,  particularly  of  the  nature  and 
habits  of  the  honey  bee  !  They  must  be  willing  to  adopt  the 
valuable  improvements  of  the  present  day,  and  keep  pace 
with  this  progressive  age  ;  tlioy  must  be  able  to  control  them- 
selves, in  order  to  control  their  bees.  Such  only  will  suc- 
ceed— while  those  who  still  cling  to  the  brimstone  and  old 
fogy  notions  of  their  fathers,  and  who  are  averse  to  progress- 
ive bee-keeping,  who  shun  the  little  pets  on  account  of  their 
pungent  weapons,  and  when  stung  retaliate  with  more  ferocity 
and  less  judgment  than  would  become  a  mere  animal — can 
never  succeed,  and  should  avoid  bee-culture. 

The  careless,  slovenly  and  lazy  person  should  not  keep 
bees.  The  care  of  an  apiary  is  more  than  it  is  usually  con- 
ceived to  be — it  is  work!  Work  for  the  brain,  as  well  as 
the  hands  and  feet ! 

SUITABLE    LOCATION. 

As  this  work  is  intended  principally  for  beginners  and 
those  unacquainted  with  the  business  of  bee-keeping,  we 
shall  not  discuss  those  questions  which  alone  interest  the 
advanced  apiarist  as  to  location,  &c.  We  simply  say  :  (ict 
a  good  location  where  fruit  and  flowers  abound,  and  where 
white  clover  and  linden  or  basswood  is  found.  Almost  any- 
where within  the  United  States  will  be  good. 

One  thing  we  would  say  :  Don't  go  where  there  are 
already  many  other  bee-keepers,  for  several  reasons  :  1st. — 
If  you  should  have  Italians,  you  don't  want  to  have  your 
queens  fertilized  by  impure  drones.  2d.  The  pasturage 
may  not  be  sufficient  to  support  more  bees.  3d.  Older  bee- 
keepers may  think  you  are  "  treading  on  their  toes,"  and  it 
may  lead  to  unpleasant  feelings,  and  a  disastrous  competition. 


BEE   CULTURB.  27 

A  territory  of  three  fir  four  miles  all  alone  is  quite  a  luxury, 
if  you  intend  keeping  bees  for  protit. 

Our  apiary  was  located  in  Chicago,  close  to  one  of 
the  main  thoroughfares  and  street-car  lines,  and  the  results 
in  both  increase  of  colonies  and  honey  has  been  exceedingly 
satisfactory.  "^Ir.  Muth,  of  Cincinnati,  has  his  apiary  on 
the  roof  of  his  store — and  is  successful  with  it. 

We  use  saw-dust  under  and  around  the  hives,  to  prevent 
the  springing  up  of  grass  to  the  annoyance  of  the  bees. — 
Some  use  sand  or  gravel  for  the  same  object,  with  success. 

A  timber  range  is  very  desirable,  for  a  large  portion  of 
their  honey  and  pollen  they  gather  from  timber  and  shrubs. 
Many  good  localities  are  found  near  rivers  or  streamlets, 
where  linden,  sumac,  maple,  willow,  cottonwood,  and  other 
trees,  shrubs  and  vines  that  yield  honey  and  pollen  abound. 

The  bees  should  be  near  the  house,  or  where  they  can  be 
heard  when  they  swarm.  They  should  be  so  located  that  the 
north  and  west  winds  would  not  strike  them,  where  they  can 
have  a  warm,  calm  place  to  alight. 

A  hedge,  high  boai'd-fence,  or  building  on  the  north  and 
west  are  a  pix)teetion  against  the  strong  winds  which  destroy 
very  many  laboring  bees  in  the  spring,  when  one  bee  is  worth 
as  much  as  a  dozen  in  the  latter  part  of  summer,  as  they  are 
then  much  needed  to  care  for  the  brood  and  keep  it  warm. 

If,  in  April,  the  day  has  been  rather  warm  and  the  evening 
cool  and  windy,  hundrcd.s  of  bees  may  be  found  on  the 
ground  in  front  of  the  hive,  perhaps  loaded  with  pollen,  but 
exhausted  from  the  flight  and  chilled  with  cold.  As  they 
approach  the  hive  they  relax  their  exertions,  and  a  light 
whifF  of  wind  dashes  them  to  the  ground,  from  which  they 
are  unable  to  arise,  and  before  the  sun  could  warm  them  up,  the 
next  morning,  they  will  be  dead. 

If  you  have  no  shade  for  your  bees,  it  would  be  best  to 
plant  fruit  trees  among  them.  These  would  not  only  supply 
them  with  pollen  and  honey  in  blooming  time,  but  acceptable 
shade  in  hot  summer  days.  Another  thing  is  apparent,  i.  e., 
the  fruit  would  be  a  remuneration.  The  bees  would  fructify 
the  trees  and  make  them  to  bear  plentifully — while  in  return, 
the  trees  would  afford  tg  the  bees  that  shade  which  they  so 
much  require,  from  the  burning  rays  qf  the  sun. 


28  BEE    CTLTURE. 

WHICH    WAY    SHOULD    HIVES    FACE. 

There  seems  to  be  no  facing  superior  to  the  one  tliat  allows 
the  sun's  rays  to  shine  directly  into  the  entrance  of  a  hive 
at  11:30  a.  m.  There  is  not  a  difference  of  any  consequence 
between  a  south,  south-east  or  south-west  aspect,  and  selection 
may  be  made  to  suit  the  apiarist's  notion.  Next  to  this,  we 
should  say,  face  to  the  east ;  if  this  is  impossible,  then  west 
— and  when  no  other  is  available,  submit  to  a  north  frontage. 

WHEN    TO    COMMENCE. 

The  reason  why  many  are  unsuccessful  is  that  they  com- 
mence at  the  wrong  time.  •  It  may  have  been  noticed  that 
about  every  third  year  has  been  a  poor  season  for  bees. 
After  such  a  season  but  few  will  commence  ;  while,  if  the 
next  is  a  good  one,  many  think  the  matter  worthy  of  their 
attention,  and  if  this  is  followed  by  another  prosperous  year, 
they  then  decide  to  embark.  But  alas,  that  is  just  the  time 
to  meet  the  third  year's  reverse.  Those,  therefore,  Tvho 
engage  in  the  business  should  not  be  discouraged  at  one 
reverse. 

Early  in  the  spring  is  the  best  time  to  begin — and  thus 
secure  an  increase  of  Vjees  as  well  as  honey  the  first  year. 

HOW    MANY    COLONIES    TO    BEGIN    WITH. 

Purchase  a  colony  from  some  reliable  breeder  or  dealer, 
and  in  order  to  get  experience,  increase  from  one  or  two 
colonies — not  more. 

As  it  is  essential  to  know  what  to  do,  when  to  do  it,  and 
HOW  to  do  it,  we  cannot  too  strongly  advise  the  beginner  to 
purchase  a  good  manual  ol'  the  apiary,  and  study  it  well. 
This  is  absolutely  essential  to  success. 

REMOVING   BEES. 

After  procuring  the  bees  and  selecting  the  location  and 
position  in  the  apiary,  the  next  thing  is  to  know  when  and 
how  to  remove  the  bees.  In  the  spring  or  fall  will  be  the  best 
time  to  remove  them.  In  the  hot  weather  the  combs  may  be 
broken  down  in  transit,  and  general  ruin  maybe  the  result. 

In  September  or  October  they  may  be  removed  with  safety. 


BEE    CULTURE.  29 

but  the  best  time  to  begin  an  apiary  is  in  April  or  May. 
Only  strong  colonies  should  be  purchased,  unless  nuclei  colo- 
nies are  desired  in  the  spring  to  build  up  into  strong  ones  by 
the  fall. 

•  If  the  distance  is  less  than  half  a  mile,  they  should  be 
removed  late  in  the  fall,  or  the  purchaser  may  lose  heavily  by 
the  bees  going  back  to  their  old  location.  Only  a  few  days 
since,  we  heard  of  a  man  buying  a  few  colonies  of  bees  of 
his  neighbor  ;  and,  to  his  surprise,  only  the  young  bees,  brood 
and  Queen  remained,  after  a  few  days — the  old  ones  having 
gone  back  to  their  former  location,  and  either  died  in  trying 
to  find  their  old  home  or  united  with  other  colonies. 

It  is  necessary,  however,  for  their  health  that  shortly  after 
completing  their  journey  they  should  have  one  or  two  fine 
days  on  which  they  can  go  out  and  relieve  themselves.  The 
disturbance  created  by  transport  causes  every  bee  to  fill  itself 
with  honey,  and  the  condition  thereby  induced  is  unfavorable 
to  lengthened  confinement.  We  can  always  calculate  on  a 
fine  day  occurring  after  a  short  interval,  in  the  fall — but  one 
suitable  for  bee  flight  may  not  happen  in  winter  till  after  the 
lapse  of  several  weeks.  If  bees  eat  freely,  and  are  constrained 
by  an  inclement  atmosphere  to  remain  long  within  their  hives, 
evil  consequences  follow.  This  is  what  sometimes  causes 
destruction  to  colonies  moved  in  winter. 

AVIIAT    KIND    OF    BEES    TO    fiET. 

Some  prefer  to  purchase  black  bees  in  box  hives,  and  then 
transfer  them  to  movable  frame  hives  in  order  to  get  expe- 
rience. In  that  case,  they  should  be  populous  colonies  with 
the  comb  yellow  or  brown.  Then  the  honey  received  will 
help  to  pay  for  the  cost  of  transferring. 

The  best  satisfaction  may  be  obtained  by  purchasing  strong 
Italian  colonics  in  the  spring.  Such  will,  doubtless,  in  a  few 
seasons,  pay  for  themselves,  thus  proving  the  cheapest  in  the 
end,  though  a  little  more  outlay  is  required  at  first.  One 
such  colony  is  worth  two  of  the  former. 

To  examine  a  box  hive,  incline  it  to  one  side,  looking 
•from  the  bottom  up,  between  the  combs.  By  using  a  smoker, 
the  bees  may  be  driven  back,  and  one  may  discover  if  it  has 


30  BEE  CULTURE. 

capped  brood,  larvae  and  plenty  of  bees.     It  should  have 
such,  to  be  considered  in  good  condition. 

BUYING    "SWARMS    OF    BEES." 

A  first  swarm  is  always  to  be  preferred,  and  if  possible 
from  a  colony  which  gave  a  swarm  the  previous  year,  for 
then  the  old  queen  will  be  in  her  second  year — vigorous  and 
at  her  best.  A  small,  second  swarm  should  be  passed  by,  in 
purchasing.  Arrange  the  frames  about  !■}  inches  from 
center  to  center  ;  tilt  the  hive  forward,  at  an  angle  of  20  to 
25  degrees,  and  they  will  be  almost  certain  to  build  straight 
on  the  top-bars  of  the  frames.  If  an  old  colony  is  purchased, 
let  it  be  one  that  was  heavy  in  the  spring,  Avith  straight 
comb  coming  entireh*  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  frames, 
or  having  as  much  of  it  as  possible. 

HOW   TO    CARE    FOR    A    FIRST   COLONY. 

If  it  comes  by  express  or  freight,  take  it  home  carefully 
in  a  spring  wagon.  Be  sui*e  that  the  combs  run  lengthwise 
of  the  wagon  ;  drive  slowly  and  handle  with  care.  Place 
the  hive  in  the  position  you  wish  it  to  occupy,  and  let  it 
remain  until  evening,  when  the  Avire  cloth  that  is  usually 
nailed  over  the  entrance  may  be  removed,  and  some  board 
or  other  obstacle  placed  in  front  of  the  hive,  so  that  when 
the  bees  come  out  in  the  morning,  they  will  cii'cle  around 
and  mark  the  location,  before  going  to  their  work,  and  thus 
return  in  due  time  with  safety.  About  mid-day,  it  may  be 
well  to  open  the  hive  and  see  whether  any  combs  are  broken 
down,  and  if  so,  get  them  straightened  up,  and  fastened 
either  with  twine  or  wire,  until  the  bees  have  secured  them, 
when  such  fastenings  should  be  removed.  Be  sure  to  smoke 
them  well,  before  opening  the  hive. 

BEES    KEPT    ON    SHARES. 

As  some  may  desire  to  keep  bees  "on  shares" — though 
we  never  think  it  desirable  to  do  so,  as  it  often  leads  to 
misunderstandings  and  quarrels — we  will  hei'e  give  the 
customary  "terms"  of  such  contracts  : 

It  is  usual  for  one  party  to  furnish  the  colonies  of  bees, 
and  the  other  party  the  care  and  labor.  The  expense  of  new 
hives,  surplus  bojces,  comb  foundation  and  queens,  is  usually 


BEE    CILTURE.  31 

divided  equally,  and  at  the  end  of  the  season  the  honey  and 
increase  of  bees  are  equally  divided — leaving  each  to  take  all 
chances  of  marketing,  as  well  as  wintering. 

Always  make  a  written  contract,  stating  the  agreement  in 
full,  and  then  there  will  be  less  liability  of  a  misunderstanding. 

BEES  MARKING  THEIR  LOCATION. 

This  is  done  through  the  sense  of  sight.  A  large  per- 
centage of  the  bees  that  fly  out  in  the  early  spring  are  those 
that  have  come  into  being  during  the  winter  and  early  .-spring ; 
consequently  they  do  not  leave  the  hive  in  a  straight  line, 
but  only  go  a  few  inches,  then  turn  their  heads  towards  the 
hive  and  oscillate  back  and  forth  in  front  of  it ;  then  moving 
further  back,  still  hovering  in  front  of  the  hive,  with  their 
heads  towards  the  entrance,  occasionally  advancing  towai-ds 
it,  as  if  to  note  more  particularly  the  place  of  entrance  and  its 
immediate  surroundings,  they  then  increase  the  distance, 
taking  a  survey  of  buildings,  trees,  fences,  or  other  noticeable 
objects  near  by,  after  which  they  return  to  the  hive,  and  start 
in  a  direct  line  from  it.  On  returning,  they  come  directly  to 
the  hive  and  enter  ;  the  suiTounding  objects  and  the  color  of 
the  hive  are  all  noted  by  the  bees. 

CHANGING  THE  LOCATION. 

It  is  desirable  not  to  change  the  location  of  hives,  unless 
it  becomes  absolutely  necessary  to  do  so.  After  the  bees 
have  become  familiar  with  their  location,  should  the  hive  be 
moved  a  few  feet,  they  will  not  notice  it  when  departing  on 
their  daily  rounds,  and  if  there  are  other  hives  near,  they 
may  perish  in  attempting  to  enter  other  hives  or  in  wander- 
ing about,  seeking  their  own  home. 

When  it  becomes  necessary  to  move  the  hives,  it  should 
be  done  gi-adually,  not  exceeding  the  breadth  of  the  hive 
each  day.  Or  if  they  are  to  be  moved  several  rods,  alarm 
them  by  smoke  blown  into  the  entrance,  then  close  it,  and 
remove,  placing  some  obstacle  before  the  hive  previous  to 
opening  the  entrance  again.  In  moving  half  a  mile  or  more, 
the  result  is  difl'erent ;  they  note  the  new  locality  and  return 
to  it. 


32  BEE  CULTURE. 

WILL   BEES   INJURE   FRUIT? 

Bees  never  puncture  fruit,  and  unless  the  skin  has  been 
broken  by  other  insects  or  bii'ds,  they  never  molest  it.  Any 
one  can  easily  determine  whether  bees  injure  grapes  or  not. 
We  know  it  is  charged  against  them  by  some  persons,  but  if 
any  one  will  take  sound  grapes  and  hang  them  up  in  the 
apiary  where  the  bees  have  full  access  to  them,  the  matter  can 
be  easily  demonstrated.  This  experiment  has  often  been 
tried,  but  we  have  never  yet  heard  of  a  single  instance  where 
the  bees  have  punctured  even  one  sound  grape. 

Dr.  Wm.  R.  Howard,  of  Texas,  says  :  "I  have  tried  the 
following  expei'iments  :  Bees  were  covering  the  grapes  in 
the  vineyard,  and  seemed  actually  intoxicated  on  the  wine. 
Removing  several  bunches,  some  of  which  had  punctured 
berries,  and  some  sound  ones,  were  taken  to  the  apiary,  and 
the  bees  soon  found  them  and  went  to  work  vigorously.  As 
soon  as  the  punctured  ones  were  exhausted,  the  bees  aban- 
doned them  and  went  in  quest  of  something  better.  Then 
the  bees  were  furnished  more  of  the  same  lot,  and  closed  in 
the  hive  ;  as  soon  as  the  punctured  ones  were  exhausted,  they 
seemed  uneasy,  then  bunch  after  bunch  of  sound  grapes  were 
given  them,  which  were  eagerly  covered,  but  as  soon  as  it  was 
found  that  none  were  punctured,  they  fell  back  in  dismay. 
The  mandibles  of  the  honey  bee  are  not  dentate  or  serrate, 
but  are  simply  smooth,  and  beautifully  rounded  at  the  points, 
spoon  or  scoop-shaped,  covered  on  the  body  with  fine  hairs 
rather  long,  and  on  the  edges  arc  covered  with  .still  finer  hair, 
with  a  second  row  around  the  internal  surface,  just  suited  to 
work  soft  wax,  brush  it  up  and  give  it  the  proper  finish. 
If  any  one  will  examine  these  mandibles  with  a  good  micro- 
scope, it  will  satisfy  him  at  a  glance  of  the  incapability  of 
the  honey  bee  to  damage,  by  puncture,  any  fruits  whatever." 

Mr.  D.  H.  Cutting,  of  Michigan,  remarks:  "I  suspended 
a  cluster  of  grapes  under  a  tree,  and  poured  sugar  syrup  on 
it ;  they  took  all  of  the  syrup,  bvjt  did  not  damage  the  cluster, 
until  a  wasp  managed  to  bite  three  berries  before  I  could  kill 
it ;  those  three  the  bees  finished.  With  many  experiments, 
during  five  years,  being  surrounded  by  bees  and  affording 
them  every  opportunity  of  doing  damage,  and,  failing  to  find 
them  doing  any,  I  think  those  who  condemn  the  bees  should 


BEE    CULTURE.  33 

experiment  for  themselves,  aud  ascertain  whether  the  bees  do 
them  any  damage  or  not  ;  they  may  come  to  the  same  con- 
clusion as  did  the  people  of  3Iassaehusetts,  "who,  years  ago, 
thought  the  bees  damaged  their  fruit,  and  had  them  banished, 
but.  finding  that  fruit  began  to  decrease  and  become  of  a 
poor  quality,  were  only  too  glad  to  have  the  law  repealed,  and 
get  the  bees  back  again,  when  their  fruit  improved  again." 

CLEANSING   COMBS   CONTAINING   DEAD    BROOD. 

Brood  is  sometimes  deserted  by  the  bees  from  some  cause, 
and,  of  course,  dies — it  might  have  been  spread  too  much,  or 
the  bees  were  insufficient  to  properly  care  for  it.  It  is  often 
asked  what  to  do  with  the  combs  containing  such  dead  brood. 
We  would  say  :  Uncap  those  cells  in  which  brood  has  died, 
then  put  them  away  in  some  dry  place  till  the  dead  brood  has 
dried  and  shrunken.  When  wanted  for  use,  put  them  one  or 
two  at  a  time  in  the  stronger  colonies,  where  they  will  be 
speedily  and  thoroughly  prepared  for  use.  In  order  to  make 
them  desirable  for  brood  combs,  it  is  necessary  that  the  cells 
be  ready  for  the  queen's  occupancy  as  soon  as  she  reaches  the 
comb,  or  she  will  either  pass  over  the  comb  entirely,  or  de- 
posit her  eggs  here  and  there,  wherever  she  finds  unobjec- 
tionabl-^  spots.  Every  close  observer  has  noticed  that  the 
queen  invariably  makes  a  close  inspection  of  the  cell  she 
proposes  using,  and  unless  perfectly  clean  she  will  not  deposit 
an  egg  in  it.  With  a  cell  here  and  there  occupied  with  dead 
larva?,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  how  the  living  larva?  adjoining 
may  be  more  or  less  liable  to  become  chilled,  as  inanimate 
bodies  are  not  possessed  of  the  natural  heat  which  pertains 
to  those  living.  It  is  undoubtedly  this  natural  law  which 
instinctively  impels  a  '•  good  "  queen  to  deposit  her  eggs  com- 
pactly in  an  oval  space  in  the  comb,  thus  economizing  to  the 
greatest  extent  the  heat  of  each  individual  larva  to  help  keep 
its  neighbor  warm.  To  what  extent  the  presence  of  dead 
brood  in  the  combs  (which  liar:  died  from  natural  causes)  may 
have  caused  the  death  of  contiguous  brood,  we  cannot  say, 
but  certainly  it  has  contributed  largely  to  many  of  the  theo- 
ries regarding  "  foul  brood"  and  its  tendencies,  and  perhaps 
in  rare  instances  has  had  a  tendency  to  enfeeble  many  of  those 
bees  which  survived  to  maturity. 


34  BEE   CULTURE. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place,  in  this  connection,  to  advise 
that  the  stronger  cohinies  be  selected  to  do  all  the  drudge- 
work  of"  the  apiary,  such  as  cleansing  belbul  ed  combs,  re- 
moving mold  from  combs,  and  pulling  out  such  dead  bees 
from  the  cells  as  Avill  not  shake  out  when  dried  and  shrunken. 
If  your  strong  colonics  have  their  hives  already  tilled  with 
frames  of  brood,  then  remove  sufficient  to  accomplish  the 
purpose  ;  but  where  a  colony  is  already  feeble,  and  it  is  desir- 
able to  build  it  up  rapidly,  no  disagreeable  work  should  be 
imposed  upon  the  bees  to  perform,  for  it  will  task  their  ener- 
gies sufficiently  to  provide  pollen,  water,  and  do  the  feeding 
and  nursing  necessary  for  successful  brood-rearing.  A  strong 
colony  will  accomplish  in  a  few  hours  that  which  would  em- 
barrass a  weak  colony  for  nearly  a  whole  season. 

ANTS    IN    TIIK    A1'1AR>". 

These  are  sometimes  troublesome  in  tlie  apiary.  The  fol- 
lowing remedy  is  practiced  and  recommended  by  Mr.  A.  B 
McLavy  :  "  With  a  weeding  hoe,  clear  the  ground  in  and 
around  the  yard  of  weeds  and  tufts  of  grass  ;  in  a  day  or  two, 
the  ants  will  have  established  a  trail  from  their  beds  to  the 
hives.  By  this  means  you  can  readily  trace  them  home. 
To  a  five-gallon  can  of  water,  add,  say,  ten  ounces  of  cyanide 
of  potassium,  and  let  it  dissolve  ;  with  a  trowel  dig  gently  in 
the  ant-bed  until  you  find  the  nest,  which  will  be  known  by 
the  white  eggs.  Then  pour  on  the  water,  and  make  the  dirt 
into  a  thin  mud  right  in  the  nest,  pour  the  water  on  plenti- 
fully, so  as  to  eifectually  poison  the  very  earth.  By  this 
means  you  dispose  of  ants  and  queen  ant,  and  unfit  the  larvae 
for  reproduction.  You  may  miss  destroying  it  at  the  first 
trial,  but  will  eventually  clean  them  out.  Keep  the  cyanide 
of  potash  out  of  reach  of  children,  as  it  is  a  violent  poison. 
It  retails  at  the  drug  stores  I'or  about  one  dollar  per  pound." 

REMOVING    PROPOLIS    FROM   THE    HANDS. 

We  are  often  asked  what  will  remove  bee  glue  from  the 
hands.  Alcohol  or  spirits  of  turpentine  will  do  it ;  or  a  little 
slacked  lime  kept  in  the  bee  house  will  be  found  convenient, 
during  the  summer,  to  remove  propolis  from  the  hands. 
Moisten  the  parts  desired  to  be  cleansed,  then  rub  with  wet 
iime  until  the  propolis  is  removed. 


HIYES  AXD  SURPLUS  HOXEY  RECEPTACLES. 


WHAT    HIVE    TO    USE. 

Indefatigable  indui«trv  is  tlie  peculiar  characteristic  of  the 
Bees.  During  the  lieight  of  their  harvest,  they  often  sally 
forth  even  before  the  lisiug  of  the  orb  of  day.  and  when  the 
short  twilight  of  evening  has  cast  its  somber  mantle  over  the 
ftice  of  nature,  they  may  sometimes  be  seen  returning  to 
their  homes  laden  with  sweets,  Avhich,  but  for  their  industry, 
■would  be  forever  lost.  Neither  the  scorching  rays  of  the 
sun,  nor  wind,  nor  storm,  will  stop  them  ;  they  avail  them- 
selves of  every  moment  that  can  be  employed  to  advantage, 
when  the  fields  are  decked  with  flowers  containing  the 
precious  nectar  ! 

The  Creator  gave  to  the  Bees  no  written  law,  but  to  guide 
their  labors,  He  imparted  to  them  instinct  to  a  surprising 
decree.  When  the  faded  bloom  and  darkened  horizon  indi- 
cate the  approach  of  winter,  they  look  to  their  hoarded  stores 
for  sustenance  till  the  early  flowers  of  spring  put  in  an 
appearance. 

As  they  provide  abundantly,  their  keeper  may  reasonably 
call  for  the  surplus,  after  supplying  their  own  necessities. — 
For  this  he  should  supply  them  with  a  neat  and  comfortable 
home,  having  all  the  conveniences  for  storing  the  precious 
nectar  in  convenient  and  attractive  shape.  It  is,  therefore, 
a  matter  of  some  moment  to  decide  what  style  of  hive  will 
best  accommodate  them  as  well  as  their  master. 

A  o-ood  hive  will  give  the  apiarist  complete  control  of  the 
frames  of  comb,  and  afi'ord  no  harbor  for  moths.  It  must 
o-ive  sufficient  room  for  the  breeding  apartment  as  well  as  for 
surplus  honey,  and  must  admit  of  close  scrutiny  and  easy 
manipulation. 


36 


BEE  riTLTURE. 


THE  LANGSTROTII  HIVE. 

Though  movable-frame  liivos  were  in  use  in  Europe,  in 
rude  form,  as  early  as  1795,  they  were  not  at  all  practical 
until  the  illustrious  German,  Dzierzon,  invented  a  hive,  in 
1848,  and  our  own  distinguished  and  honored  Langstroth,  in 
1852,  presented  the  world  with  one  that  has,  with  his 
system  of  management,  completely  revolutionized  bee-keeping 
everywhere,  making  it  a  practical  science. 

The  patent  which  was  issued  to  the  llev.  L.  L.  Langstvcth 
in  1852  expired  in  1873,  and  there  is  now  no  patent  either  vn 
his  hive  or  frame. 

Willi  the  movable-frame  hive,  all  the  combs  can  be  taken 
out  and  replaced,  or  exchanged  with  other  hives  at  will, 
without  the  least  detriment  to  the  boos.  The  combs  having 
a  surplus  of  honey  can  be   emptied  with  the  J^^xtractor,  with- 


PiG.  li'.—  Langstroth  Hive. 

out  injury,  and  returned  to  the  hive  to  be  refilled, — thus 
saving  labor  for  the  bees  in  making  new  combs,  and  honey 
for  their  keeper. 

The  Queen  can  be  found,  examined,  and,  when  necessary, 
can  be  replaced  by  one  more  prolific,  or  one  in  some  other 
way  more  desirable  ;  and  artificial  colonics  can  be  made  at 
will,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter.  If  a  colony  be  weak,  it  can 
be  strengthened  by  giving  it  a  frame  or  two  of  brood  from 
some  other  hive.  In  fact,  the  movable  frame  makes  the 
bee-keeper  "  the  master  of  the  .situation." 


BEE  CULTURE. 


37 


'dovetailed"  or  lock  corner  hive. 


The  hive  illustration  on  the  preceding  page  shows  a  portico 
Langstroth  hive  and  V  top-bar  frame,  both  of  which  were  used 


Fig.  12.—DovetaiJed  Hive. 

many  years,  but  in  1889  what  has  since  been  popularly  known 
as  the  "dovetailed  hive"  was  introduced,  and  since  Its  advent 
almost  every  other  hive  has  had  to  give  way  to  it. 


HOFFMAN-LANG STKOTH  BROOD  FRAME. 

(See  Illustration  on  page  40j 

The  brood-frames  commonly  used  in  this  hive  are  called 
the  HofEman  self-spacing,  eight  or  ten  of  them  being  used  m 
the  lower  story.  These  frames  measure  ^H^l'TH  inches,  out- 
side measure,  and  are  either  spaced  by  wood  projections  on 
either  side  of  the  end  bars  a  part  of  their  length  from  the  top, 
or  else  by  wire  staples,  which  keep  them  apart  the  proper  dis- 
tance when  in  the  hive.  Recently  these  brood-frames  have 
been  made  with  staples  driven  into  their  ends,  just  under  the 
top-bar,  to  hold  them  in  proper  position,  thus  allowing  the  top- 
bar  projections  to  be  shortened,  causing  less  fastening  by 
propolizing  of  the  ends  to  the  hive  by  the  bees. 


88 


BEE  CULTURE. 


THE  PRODUCTION  OF  CHOICE  HONEY. 

In  no  country  on  the  face  of  the  earth  is  honey  produced, 
either  in  ancient  or  modern  times,  that  can  excel  that 
produced  in  North  America.  Nature  has  supplied  this  vast 
Continent  Avith  honey-sources  as  varied  and  plenteous  as 
can  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world.  And  Avithin  the  past 
few  years,  many  improved  methods  and  appliances  liave 
been  invented  for  the  increased  production  of  honey,  as  well 
as  to  multiph'  the  volume  and  vastly  enrich  the  quality  of 
the  product.  Simultaneously  with  these  imiii-ovements,  we 
Jind  the  consequent  inci-eased  consumption.  Heretofore  it 
was  a  luxury,  enjoyed  only  by  a  few — but  now  it  takes  its 
place  among  staple  articles.  Improved  management,  as 
well  as  increased  production,  lias  brought  the  price  down 
to  that  which  can  be  afforded  by  every  familj'. 

HONEY   IN   THE    COMB. 

Not  only  have  we  forsaken  the  log-gums  and  rude  straw 
and  box  hives  of  our  fathers,  and  given  these  busy  little 
workers  a  neater  home,  wtth  movable  frames  to  contain 
their  combs,  Init  we  have  taught  them  to  store  their  surplus 
honey  in  small  sectional-frames,  so  that  it  can  be  easily 
a  b  G 


Culilornia  Fraini'.  Nailed  Section.  Dovetailecl  Section. 

Fig.  1."). — Ilonei/  Frdmes  and  Sections. 


taken  from  the  hives  when  full,  and  marketed  in  convenient 
shape,  suited  to  the  requirements  of  retail  purchasers. 

The  first  improvement  was  to  get  the  surplus  honey  in 
"boxes"  holding  two  or  more  combs.  Then  came  the 
"  California  frames,"  invented  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Harbison,  which 
were  made  sometliing  like  the  standing  brood-frames,  only 
they  were  about  Gxli  inches  in  size,  and  the  sides  and  top 
were  H  inches  wide,  with  narrower  bottoms.     (Fig.  15  a.) 


BEE   CULTURE.  39 

The  first  "honey-boxes"  were  made  to  hold  several  combs 
about  six  inches  square.  A.  G.  HilK  of  Indiana,  conceived 
the  idea  of  inserting-  '-comb  guides"  two  inches  apart,  and 
then  sawing  about  half  way  through  these  boxes,  between 
the  "guides,"  so  that  the  retailer  could,  with  a  knife,  cut 
the  combs  apart,  without  injuring  the  honey-combs. 

About  the  same  time,  Geo.  T.  Wheeler,  of  New  York, 
invented  honey-boxes  for  single  combs,  having  wood  tops 
and  bottoms,  and  glass  ends;  and  when  taken  off  the  hives 
(where  full-sized,  tin  separators  Avere  used)  the  sides  wei-e 
also  glassed.    The  bee-entrance  Avas  a  "slot"  in  the  bottoms. 

Then  N.  N.  Betsinger,  of  New  York,  invented  the  honey 
box  (Fig.  15  b)  made  by  nailing  2xJ  inch  sides  to  \\x}  inch 
tops  and  bottoms,  to  "be  used  Avilh  tin  separators,  and 
glassed  on  the  sides  after  being  taken  from  the  hives. 
These  were  to  hold  two  pounds  of  honey. 

Then  A.  I.  Root,  of  Ohio,  made  one-pound  sections,  eight 
of  them,  4}x4i  inches,  to  tit  a  "  wide  frame  "  _  of 

the  same  size  as  the  Langstroth  brood-frame.  These  were 
of  ^-iuch  Avood  all  around,  and  "  dovetailed  ;"  the  sides 
being  2  inches,  and  the  tops  and  bottoms  1]  inches  Avide, 
leaving  room  for  the  bees  to  enter  between  every  two — to 
be  used  Avith  tin  separators  3.}  inches  Avide. 

After  the  four-piece  dovetailed  sections  before  mentioned. 
Prof.  Cook  used  l^erry-box  stnff  bent  to  shape  around  a 
block,  and  nailed.  Then  several  attempts  Avere  made  to  get 
the  sections  made  in  one-piece  ;  but  that  Avas  not  perfected 
until  about  1880,  in  Watertown,  Wis.,  Avhen  the  present 
one-piece  section  Avith  V-groove  Avas  perfected. 

For  years  these  two-pound  sections  Avere  the  favorites  for 
marketing  comb  honey— bnt  they  are  now  nearly  driven 
from  the  market  by  the  one-piece  sections  holding  one 
pound  of  honey,  and  measuring  4^x4]-  inches,  outside. 


Fig.  16. — One-Piece,  One-Pound  Honey  Section. 

This  cut  shows  the  4^x4^  one-piece  section,  the  grooves 
being  represented  by  a,  a,  a.  These  can  be  easily  bent  into 
the  shape  of  a  box,  by  hand,  but  that  can  of  course  be  done 
much  faster  by  machinery. 


40 


BEE   CULTURE. 


Fig.  14. — Hoffman-Langstroth  Brood-Frame. 

(See  page  37.) 
PLAIN   SECTION-BOXES   AND   CLEATED   SEPARATORS. 

For  years  the  section-box  has  been  made  with  one  or  more 
scallops  on  each  size,  for  the  purpose  of  allowing  the  bees  to 
enter  from  below,  and  also  to  pass  on  up  to  another  tier  of  sec- 
tions when  supers  are  tiered  upon  the  hives.     But  lately  there 


Fig.  17. — Fence  or  Cleated  Separator. 

has  been  introduced  what  is  known  as  the  "Plain"  section, 
all  scallops  being  omitted,  and  the  sections  being  made  1}4 
inches  in  width.  In  order  to  allow  the  bees  to  get  into  the  sec- 
tions and  also  pass  on  up  to  those  placed  over  the  first  tier,  the 
separator  used  between  each  row  in  a  super  are  cleated  in  such 


BEE  CULTURE. 


41 


a  way  as  to  hold  the  rows  of  sections  apart.  Such  separators 
have  been  called  "Fences,"  or  cleated-slat  separators.  The 
illustration  on  page  40  gives  an  excellent  idea  of  this  new 
separator. 

Of  late  there  has  been  much  said  about  the  use  of  a  tall 
honey-section,  some  claiming  that  a  more   attractive   appear- 


Fig.  18.— Oblong  and  Square  Sections  Contrasted. 

ance  is  secured  once  it  is  filled  with  honey.  They  are  made  in 
various  sizes,  4x5  inches,  and  S%x5,  being  the  more  commonly 
used,  and  the  width  being  IJ^  inches. 


SUPEKS   FOR  HOLDING   SECTION-BOXES. 

There  are  various  arrangements  for  holding  the  section- 
boxes  in  which  is  placed  the  surplus  honey.  Perhaps  that  most 
widely  used  is  the  section-holder  super.  A  super  used  on  an 
8-frame  hive  holds  six  of  these  section-holders,  and  for  a  10- 
frame  hive  seven  of  them.    Each  section-holder  takes  four  sec- 


42  BEE  CULtuSE. 

tlons  4j^x4}^   inches  in  size.      A   separator   is  then   placed 
between  each  two  section-holders,  to  compel  the  bees  to  build 


Fig.  19.— Super  of  Section- Holders. 
Explanations.— D,  solid  wood  separator;    a.  dovetailed  super;  E,  section- 
boxes;  F,  follower-board;   6,  wedge  for  between  follower-board  and  super 
side,  to  make  all  solid. 

straight  combs  in  the  sections,  or  to  prevent  bulging  of  combs 
either  to  one  side  or  the  other  of  the  sections. 


Fig.  20. — Super  with  Plain  Sections  and  Fences. 

A  section-holder  might  be  called  a  wide  frame  without  a 
top  piece,  simply  two  end-blocks  nailed  on  a  bottom  slat.    The 


BEE   CULTURE. 


43 


section-holders  are  supported  in  tiie  super  by  two  strips  of  tin 
nailed  crosswise  under  each  end.  The  section-holders,  with 
the  sections  and  separators,  are  then  wedged  up  from  one  side 
by  the  use  of  a  follower-board  and  a  wedge,  thus  noaking  all 
snug  and  tight. 

REMOVING   HONEY   FROM   THE   SUPER. 

Before  taking  honey  from  the  supers,  of  course  it  is  neces- 
sary first  to  get  the  bees  out  of  them.  Dr.  C.  C.  Miller  does 
this  by  piling  up  8  or  10  supers  just  as  taken  from  the  hive 
(with  bees,  honey  and  all),  on  a  bee-escape  board,  and  then  in- 
verting another  bee-escape  board  over  the  pile  of  supers.  The 
bees  will  leave  in  a  few  hours  and  return  to  their  respective 
hives,  when  the  supers  can  be  taken  into  the  house,  and  the 
honey  removed  without  any  annoyance  from  the  bees. 

SHIPPING-CASES   FOR   HONEY. 

Cases  in  which  to  pack  comb  honey  for  shipment  are  made 
In  various  sizes,  holding  from  12  sections  to  28  in  a  single  tier. 


Fig.  21. — No-Drip  Shipping-Case. 


Those  most  generally  used  hold  12  or  24  sections  of  honey. 
The  12-sectioa  case  generally  shows  three  sections  through  a 


44 


BEE   CULTURE. 


glass  side,  and  the  24:-section  case  shows  four  sections  next  to 
the  glass. 


Fig.  22. — Three-Roiv  12-poxmd  Shipping-Case. 

The  most  satisfactory  shipping-case  has  Inside  a  folded 
paper  pan  at  the  bottom,  upon  which  are  tacked  small  strips 
crosswise  whereon  to  set  the  sections.  This  forms  what  Is 
known  as  the  "no-drip"  shipping-case.     Should  there  be  any 


Fig.  23. — No-Drip  Case  for  Plain  Sections. 

dripping  of  the  honey  it  simply  is  caught  in  the  paper  pan,  and 
the  cross  strips  hold  up  the  sections  so  that  they  do  not  rest  in 
the  honey-drippings.  Of  course  only  perfect  sections  of  honey 
should  be  packed  for  market,  and  not  any  that  are  at  all  In  a 
leaky  condltiorv 


SHIPPING    COMB   HONEY   TO    MARKET. 

A  few  directions  on  packing  comb  honey  for  shipping  by 
railroad  may  be  useful.     It  is  best  to  have  a  large  crate  hold- 


BEE   CULTURE. 


45 


ing  perhaps  16  of  the  12-section  cases,  or  8  of  the  24-section 
cases.  First  put  about  four  inches  of  straw  In  the  bottom  of 
the  large  crate,  then  place  in  the  cases  of  honey,  not  forgetting 


Fig.  24:.— Shipping-Cases. 

to  put  straw  at  the  sides  and  ends  of  the  large  crate,  as  it  is 
filled  with  the  cases  of  honey.  The  straw  acts  as  a  cushion. 
After  nailing  on  the  top  pieces  enclosing  the  large  crate,  nail 
a  three  or  four-inch  board  on  each  side,  about  a  third  of  the 


Fig.  25.— Crate  for  Shipping  Honey. 


way  down  from  the  top,  to  be  used  as  handles  for  earring  the 
whole  crate  of  perhaps  200  pounds  of  honey.  Thus  two  men 
can  carry  it  easily,  and  there  is  practically  no  danger  of  break- 
age, if  properly  packed. 


A  MODERN    HOUSE-APIARY. 


Smnnnr  Mew. 


Winter  View. 


BEE    CULTURE. 


PRODUCTM  AND  CARE  OF  HOXEY. 


PREPARATION   FOR   THE    MARKET. 

The  Arabs,  it  is  stated,  obtained  their  knowledge  of 
Astronomy  while  crossing  the  trackless  desert,  being  com- 
pelleu  to  observe  very  closely  the  position  of  the  stars  to 
guide  them  in  their  journey.  Just  so  should  the  bee-keeper 
closely  watch  the  continual  and  varied  changes  that  occur  in 
the  demands  of  the  public  concerning  the  preparation  of 
honey  for  the  market.  Instead  of  settling  down  to  the  con- 
clusion that,  in  reference  to  marketing  honey  he  knows  it  all, 
he  should  be  careful  to  observe  what  dealers  and  consumers 
demand,  and  then  at  once,  freely  and  fully  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  trade.  In  this  way  only,  can  he  become  a  suc- 
cessful apiarist. 

The  progressive  producer  of  this  God-given  sweet  is  never 
surprised  to  find  that  the  methods  of  preparing  honey  for  the 
market,  which  were  acceptable  during  one  season,  are  behind 
the  times  for  the  next,  and  require  modifications  or  improve- 
ments iu  order  to  keep  pace  with  the  public  requirements. 

HOW  SHOULD  HONEY  BE  MARKETED  ? 

It  should  never  be  forgotten  that  honey  of  good  quality, 
and  in  any  of  the  popular  packages,  will  command  the  highest 
price,  and  be  in  constant  demand.  Such  tempt  the  purchaser, 
and  cause  a  steady  demand. 

The  marketing  of  honey  is  a  subject  that  interests  every 
apiarist.  In  order  that  honey  may  be  sold  readily,  it  MU.ST  be 
ATTRACTIVE  !  Has  it  never  occurred  to  the  reader  to 
inquire  why  bolts  of  muslin  are  labeled  with  pictures  of 
luscious  Iruit  ?  Or  why  boxes  of  fancy  toilet  articles  are 
adorned  with  lithographs  of  enchanting  faces  with  bewitching 


48  BEE   CULTURE. 

smiles  ?  Answei's  to  such  questions  oflfer  us  instructive 
lessons  that  will  pay  for  the  learning  !  Manufactui'ers  know 
full  well  that  in  orcler  to  have  their  goods  sell  readily,  they 
must  be  attractive!  No  matter  how  good  the  quality,  nor 
how  cheap  the  price — they  must  attract  and  please  the  eye  ! 

To-day,  comb-honey  is  the  prejerence  for  table  use,  and  if 
we  would  cater  to  the  public  want,  we  must  produce  that 
article  in  the  most  attractive  shape.  This  must  be  ari-ived 
at  by  growth!  We  could  not  obtain  "the  most  desirable 
shape"  at  one  bound,  but  ma}-  approximate  perfection  ! 

No  product  of  field  or  farm  varies  so  much  in  pi'ice  as 
honey;  and  Avhy  ?  Because  of  the  unattractive  manner  in 
which  some  put  it  upon  the  market.  It  only  requires  to  be 
attractively  put  up,  to  find  ready  sale  at  remunerative 
prices.  If  we  meet  the  requirements  of  consumers,  there 
will  be  a  demand  for  all  the  honey  produced  in  America. 

As  the  articles  for  sauce  decrease  in  the  fall,  the  thrifty 
house-keeper  looks  ai'ound  for  something  to  take  its  place 
besides  canned  fruit.  Honey  is  just  the  thing  she  desires  ; 
and  it  only  remains  for  us  to  convince  the  millions  of  house- 
keepers of  that  fact,  for  the  demand  to  iuci-ease  and  grow 
astonishingly — if  the  supply  be  kept  up  attractively. 

One  great  question,  towering  far  above  all  others  in 
importance,  is:  "-How  to  dispose  of  honey  to  the  best 
advantage.'"  In  vain  do  we  talk  of  the  best  hives — the 
best  implements  for  every  department  of  the  apiaiy.  In 
vain  do  we  toil  aiid  labor  from  morn  till  eventide,  manipu- 
lating our  pets  and  their  surroundings.  In  vain  do  we  tell 
of  the  large  amount  of  honey  stored  away  in  our  honey 
houses.  Vain  is  all  this,  if  we  cannot  dispose  of  it  to 
advantage  and  thus  reap  the  reward  of  our  well  doing. 

ASSORT   AND    GRADE   THE    HONEY. 

All  honey  should  be  graded,  and  a  scale  of  prices  be 
established.  Now,  one  compelled  by  his  needs,  may  sell 
honey  at  the  commencement  of  the  season  for  any  price 
offered,  and  thus  unintentionally  bi'eak  down  the  market, 
by  giving  a  start  at  too  low  a  rate.  Systematic  organization 
eould  and  should  help  this  state  of  affairs.  Some  State 
Conventions  have  appointed  committees  to  grade  and  then 
dispose  of  the  honey  of  the  members.  If  this  were  done  in 
every  State  or  district,  we  should  hear  no  more  of  the 
markets  being  bi'oken  down  by  premature  and  forced  sales. 


BEE    CULTURE.  49 

MANAGEMENT    OF    COMB   HONEY. 

Comb  honey  should  be  taken  from  the  hive  as  soon  as  it 
is  finished,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  possible.  "No  apiai'ist 
can  expect  to  have  his  honey  sell  for  the  highest  market 
price,"  says  G.  M.  Doolittle,  "  if  he  allows  it  to  stay  in  the 
hives  for  weeks  after  it  has  been  sealed  over,  allowing  the 
bees  to  give  the  combs  a  dirty  yellow  color,  by  constantly 
traveling  over  It.  All  comb-honey  producers  know  that 
there  always  will  be  cells  next  to  the  section  that  are  partly 
filled  with  honey  but  not  sealed  over,  and  when  taken  from 
the  hive,  if  the  section  is  turned  over  sidewise,  the  honey, 
being  thin,  will  run  out,  making  sticky  work.  The  remedy 
for  this  is  a  small,  warm  I'oom.  Bees  evaporate  their  honey 
by  heat,  and  therefore,  if  we  expect  to  keep  our  honey  in 
good  condition  for  market,  we  must  keep  it  as  the  bees  do, 
in  such  a  position  that  it  will  grow  thicker,  instead  of 
thinner  all  the  while.  Our  honey  room  is  situated  on  the 
south  side  of  our  shop,  and  is  about  7  feet  square,  by  9  feet 
high.  We  have  a  large  window  in  it,  and  the  whole  south 
side  is  painted  a  dark  color,  to  draw  the  heat.  In  it  the 
mercury  stands  from  80^  to  90^^,  while  our  honey  is  in  it ; 
and  when  we  crate  it  for  market,  we  can  tip  our  section^  as 
much  as  we  please  and  no  honey  will  drip,  neither  will  any 
of  the  combs  have  a  watery  appearance — all  will  be  bright, 
dry  and  clean.  But  if  we  keep  honey  thus  warm,  the  moth 
will  make  its  appearance,  and  make  it  unfit  for  market,  by 
gnawing  ofl:'  the  sealing  from  our  beautiful  combs. 

"We  build  a  platform  on  either  side  of  our  honey  room, 
of  scantling,  about  16  inches  high,  and  on  this  we  place  the 
sections  so  that  the  fumes  from  burning  sulphur  can  enter 
each  one  ;  in  about  2  weeks  we  fumigate,  by  burning  J  of  a 
pound  of  sulphur  for  every  200  cubic  feet  in  the  room.  We 
take  coals  from  the  stove  and  put  them  in  an  old  kettle,  so 
as  not  to  get  anything  on  fire  ;  pour  on  the  sulphur  and  push 
it  under  the  pile  of  honey,  and  shut  up  the  room.  Watch 
through  the  window,  and  in  15  minutes  after  the  last  fly  or 
bee  that  chances  to  be  in  the  room  has  died,  open  the  door 
and  let  out  the  smoke,  for  if  it  stands  too  long,  the  smoke 
may  settle  on  the  combs  iind  give  them  a  greenish  hue.  As 
there  may  be  a  few  eggs  that  have  not  yet  hatched,  we 
fumigate  again  in  about  10  days,  after  which  the  lioney  will 
be  free  from  moths,  if  you  do  not  let  millers  into  the  room," 


50  BKE    CULTURE. 

HANDLING   AND    SHIPPING. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  surplus  honey  product  of 
America  amounts  to  seventy-five  millions  of  pounds  ;  there- 
fore, the  placing  of  this  enormous  product  upon  the  market 
is  a  subject  of  vast  importance  to  honey  producers.  Any 
method  that  will  add  one  cent  per  pound  to  the  marketable 
value,  is  worth  to  them  three-quarters  of  a  million  of  dollars  ; 
and  any  error  of  management,  causing  a  reduction  of  one  cent 
per  pound,  is  to  them  a  corresponding  loss  !  We  should 
ascertain  what  the  market  demands,  and  then  diligently 
apply  ourselves  to  the  work,  in  order  to  reap  the  reward  of 
"  well  doing,"  and  rejoice  in  the  labor  of  our  hands. 

Honey  in  the  comb  is  a  luxury — a  fuicy  article — and  our 
first  care  should  be  to  produce  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  com- 
mand a  fancy  price.  It  must  captivate  the  eye  of  the  con- 
sumer, and  tempt  him  to  purchase.  To  this  end  comb  honey 
should  be  put  up  in  single-comb  sections,  all  combs  being 
straight  and  evenly  built,  and  labeled  with  the  kind  of  bloom 
which  produced  it,  giving  the  producer's  name  and  address. 
It  should  be  put  up  in  uniform  crates,  and  not  veneered,  i.  e., 
the  combs  inside  should  be  just  as  good  as  those  on  the  ex- 
terior of  the  crate.  Small  packages  sell  the  most  readily  ; 
twelve  in  a  crate  (fig.  20)  is  usually  sufficient,  and  always  the 
most  desirable  for  the  jobbing  trade. 

The  apiarist  should  give  his  personal  attention  to  its 
crating,  grading  and  shipping,  so  that  he  may  be  positive  as 
to  the  details,  should  any  (|uestion,  involving  these,  be  raised 
by  the  consignee.  The  inexperienced  and  careless  ones  are 
always  a  detriment,  and  .sometimes  ruin  the  market  for  their 
more  careful  and  experienced  neighbors.  They  take  an 
inferior  grade  of  honey,  put  up  in  irregular  and  soiled  packa- 
ges, to  market  early,  just  to  get  a  little  money,  and  sell  for 
any  price  offered  ;  and  this  often  settles  the  price  for  that 
locality  and  season,  and  the  attractive  honey  is  either  sacri- 
ficed to  their  carelessness,  or  shipped  to  another  market. 

If  shipped  away  to  market,  it  must  not  be  packed  in  straw 
or  chaff;  but  put  in  small  crates  containing  a  single  tier  (fig. 
20),  and  placed  with  the  top  bar  downwards,  which  is  the 
strongest  way,  and  will  prevent  much  breaking  down.     Ship 


BEE    CULTURE.  51 

by  freight,  for  the  espressage  ^Yill  be  so  high  that  it  wifl 
take  oflF  all  the  profits,  and  is,  in  nearly  all  cases,  liable  to  do 
as  much  damage  as  when  sent  by  freight.  See  to  its  pack- 
ing in  the  car,  wagon  or  v.ehicle,  and  place  the  combs  length- 
wise to  the  engine,  but  crosswise  to  the  horses,  and  give 
direction  not  to  have  it  unloaded  on  trucks,  but  invariably  to 
be  unloaded  by  hand. 

WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  CANDIED  COMB  HONEY. 

When  honey  becomes  old  and  candied  in  the  combs,  it  can- 
not be  removed  by  the  Honey  Extractor,  and  inquiries  are 
made  as  to  what  to  do  with  it.  This  is  Mrs.  L.  Harrison's 
method  :  '-The  honey  was  mashed  up  in  a  pan,  and  set  over 
a  kettle  of  boiling  water,  and  stirred  frequently.  Before  the 
honey  was  very  hot,  the  wax  had  risen  to  the  surface,  and 
being  set  out  in  the  cold,  quickly  congealed,  so  that  the  warm 
honey  could  be  poured  from  under  it,  through  a  cofi"ee  strainer 
into  another  vessel,  leaving  the  wax  in  the  pan.  After  the 
honey  was  melted,  the  wax  was  all  melted  up  together,  and 
considerable  honey  of  inferior  quality  was  under  it,  which  can 
be  kept  separate  and  be  used  for  cooking,  making  ginger- 
bread, etc.  'flie  rinsings  of  vessels  used  in  manipulating  the 
honey,  will  mr.ke  excellent  vinegar.  The  wax  can  be  melted 
in  a  pan  over  boiling  water,  and  should  be  poured,  when 
melted,  through  a  hot  coffee  strainer,  and  when  cool,  will  be 
of  a  light  straw  color." 

MANAGEMENT  OF  EXTRACTED  HONEY. 

The  marketing  of  extracted  honey  is  an  important  matter, 
for  a  good  article,  attractively-  put  up,  will  always  command 
the  best  price,  and  it  is.  therefore,  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  producers  to  have  honey  put  up  in  the  best  shape. 

None  but  a  thoroughly'  good  article  should  be  produced  or 
placed  on  the  market,  as  the  price  depends  on  the  quality\ 
A  good  article  of  extracted  honey  has  excellent  qualities, 
which,  when  well  known,  will  commend  it  to  all  consumers, 
and  is  equal  in  every  respect  to  the  very  best  article  of  comb 
honey. 

It  is  veiy  gratifying  to  know  that  extracted  honey  is  now 
produced  to  a  much  larger  extent  than  ever  before.     Without 


52  BEE    CULTURE. 

saying  anything  to  the  disparagement  of  comb  honey,  we  may 
say  that  we  think  it  will  become  a  staple  only  in  the  extracted 
form.  Its  excellent  qualities,  when  better  understood,  will 
bring  it  into  almost  universal  favor. 

Every  bee-keeper  should  fully  supply  his  own  locality,  and 
he  should  let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  it  is  the  pure 
honey  taken  from  the  combs  by  centrifugal  force—that  nothing 
is  added  to  it,  and  nothing  taken  from  it  but  the  comb — that 
it  is  not  the  old-fashioned  '•  strained  honey,"  which  was 
obtained  by  being  taken  from  mashed  brood-combs,  and 
"  strained  "  from  dead  bees,  pollen,  &c.,  but  that  it  is  the 
imre  liquid  gathered  from  the  flowers,  which  will  give  health 
to  the  body,  force  to  the  mind,  and  strength  to  the  intellect 
of  those  who  use  it. 

It  should  also  be  kept  before  consumers  that  granulated 
honey  can  be  reduced  to  its  liquid  state  in  a  few  moments  by 
placing  the  honey  in  a  jar  in  warm  water.  When  thus 
liquefied,  it  so  remains  for  some  time  before  again  crystal- 
lizing. Consumers  may  be  sure  of  a  wholesome  article  by 
purchasing  granulated  honey  and  reducing  it. 

Mr.  Heddon  used  earthen  crocks  holding  about  ten  pounds, 
and  he  likes  them  very  well  ;  it  is  very  convenient  to  take 
the  honey  from  them  when  it  is  candied,  or  to  liquefy  it  by 
placing  the  crock  in  warm  water. 

If  the  jiroduct  is  for  a  home  market,  then,  of  course,  the 
producer  must  study  the  local  preference  regarding  the  size 
and  style  of  package,  as  well  as  the  grade  of  honey  most 
easily  disposed  of.  As  far  as  practicable,  keep  each  grade 
of  honey  separate  ;  it  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  a  few  pounds  of 
inferior  or  different  shade  honey  will  make  no  difference  in  a 
large  bulk  of  white  clover  honey,  or  that  thereby  a  better 
rate  will  be  obtained  for  the  second  grade  article.  Instead, 
the  result  will  most  likely  be  to  class  it  all  as  second  grade, 
and  the  price  of  all  will  be  depreciated.  Again,  if  possible, 
keep  the  white  clover  and  basswood  honey  separate.  In 
order  to  do  this,  keep  a  vigilant  watch  of  the  basswood  bloom, 
and  extract  the  white  clover  quite  close  before  the  bees  com- 
mence gathering  from  the  former.  A  little  clover  in  the 
basswood  honey,  however,  will  not  do  the  harm  that  would 
result  if  the  proportions  were  reversed.     After  the  basswood 


BEE   CULTURE. 


53 


harvest  is  all  gathered  by  the  bees,  extract  it  closely,  for  it 
will  not  do  to  taint  any  other  honey,  even  though  it  be  from 
fall  flowei-s  and  somewhat  darker,  with  its  aromatic  flavor. 


TIN    PAILS    FOR   HONEY. 

For  retail  packages,  tin  pails  (fig.  28),  with  close-fitting 
covers,  are  the  best.  Purchased  by  the  gross  or  in  lots  of 
1,000  or  more,  the  price  is  so  inconsiderable  that  no 
consumer  will  object  to  paying  what  they  cost,  in  addition 
to  the  price  of  honey,  for  they  are  so  "handy  to  have  in  the 
house"  that  not  one  in  a  hundred  would  return  the  pail. 


To  bold  3  pounds.       5  pounds.  10  pounds. 

Fig.  2^ —Straight  Pails. 

A  neatly  printed  label  should  be  gummed  or  pasted  on 
each  Pail,  stating  the  amount  and  kind  of  honey,  name  of 
apiarist  by  whom  put  up,  and  giving  in  a  foot-note  directions 
for  liquefying  the  honey  in  case  it  granulates. 


To  hold  25  pounds.       13  pounds.        7  pounds.      4  pounds. 

Fig.  28. — Tapering  Pails, 

They  are  heavier  and  stronger  than  the  straight  Pails ; 
the  covers  are  deeper  and  the  top-edge  of  the  Pail  is  doubled 
over.    A  smaller  size  is  also  made  to  hold  about  one  pound. 


54 


BEE    CUT.TURE. 


If  smaller  packages  are  wanted,  then  use  glass  jars  (fig.  29) 
or  tumblers.  These  are  always  worth  their  cost  in  the  family 
— the  furmer  for  pickles,  catsups,  and  a  thousand  other  uses, 
while  the  latter  are  equally  appreciated  for  their  convenience 
in  putting  up  jellies,  etc.  Jars  and  tumblers,  like-the  tin 
pails,  should  be;  tastefully  put  up  and  labeled. 


Fig.  29. — Olass  Honey  Jars. 

For  a  retail  market,  excellence  of  goods  should  be  the 
prime  consideration,  but  the  attractiveness  of  the  package 
should  never  be  lost  sight  of.  Manufacturers  of  adulterated 
goods,  of  nearly  every  description,  depend  more  upon  effect- 
ing sales  by  the  employment  of  attractive  packages  and  taste- 
ful, pretentious  labels  than  upon  the  excellence  of  the  pre- 
tended article  sold.  In  this  respect,  bee-keepers  have  been 
wofully  negligent,  and  many  have  appeared  wholly  indifferent 
as  to  the  appearance  of  their  honey,  seeming  to  imagine  that 
their  personal  assurance  to  the  grocer  of  the  purity  of  the 
article,  was  sufficient  to  convince  the  public  of  its  desirable- 
ness. 


BEE   CULTURE. 


55 


If  the  extracted  honey  be  destined  for  a  metropolitan  or 
foreign  market,  an  entirely  ditierent  method  of  putting  it 
up  should  be  employed.  There  is  nothing  more  convenient, 
attractive  or  economical  than  square  tin  cans,  or  small  kegs 


Fig.  30.— Small  Kegs  for  Honey. 


made  of  pine.  The  soft-wood  kegs  need  no  waxing.  If 
thoroughly  drenched  with  water  a  few  hours  before  usmg, 
no  leakage  will  take  place. 

The  square  tin  Cans  furnish  excellent  packages  for  safely 
shippino-  extracted  honey.  Each  Can  holds  about  60  pounds, 
and  tw'of  them  may  be  shipped  together  in  one  crate,  as 
seen  in  the  engraving  to  the  right.      There  is  no  leakage  m 


Fig.  31.— Square  Cans  for  Shimming  Extracted  Honey. 


transit,  if  even  moderately  well  handled.  A  stick  one  inch 
square  should  be  placed  over  each  Can,  before  nailing  the 
cover  down. 


56 


BEE    CULTURE. 


Barrels  are  too  heavy  and  cumbersome  for  convenient 
handling,  and  too  large  for  rapid  sales.  No  hard-wood 
barrel  is  safe  to  put  honey  in,  till  after  it  has  been  thoroughly 
waxed.  Taking  into  account  the  value  of  the  wax  and  time 
consumed  in  applying  it,  together  with  the  price  of  the 
barrel,  the  cans  or  kegs  are  the  cheapest,  without  considering 
their  convenience  and  less  liability  of  leakage.  As  the 
jobber  never  pajs  for  the  barrel,  the  shipper  should  use  the 
cheapest — if  the  best. 

Many  times  jobbers  and  commission  dealers  decline  small 
sales,  rather  than  furnish  smaller  packages  and  give  the 
time  requisite  for  dividing  up  a  large  barrel  of  honey.  The 
time  is  rapidly  approaching  when  there  will  be  a  discrimi- 
nation of  at  least  one  cent  per  pound  in  favor  of  the  small 
packages,  for  the  finer  grades  of  extracted  honej-.  Whether 
for  retailing  or  manufacturing  purposes. 

HONEY   MUST    BE    RIPENED. 

The  nectar  gathered  from  the  flowers  cannot  be  called 
honey  until  the  evaporation  and  ripening  process  has  so  far 
gone  on  that  the  bees  have  commenced  capping  it  over.  If 
it  be  extracted  before  it  is  capped  by  the  bees,  as  some 
apiarists  recommend,  on  account  of  the  quantity  being 
thereby  greatly  augmented,  then  it  should  be  ripened  before 
it  is  placed  in  tight  packages  or  shipped,  or  it  is  liable  to  fer- 
ment and  sour. 

The  bee-keepers  of  California  find  it  necessary  to  extract 
the  honey  as  fast  as  it  is  gathered,  but  they  thoroughly  ripen 
it.     Mr.  Gridley  thus  describes  his  plan  of  ripening  honey  : 


n 


b 


n 


Fig.  32. — Honey  Evaporator. 

"  The  honey  from  the  extractor  runs  through  a  galvanized 
iron  pipe  (one-and-a-fourth  inch)  drain,  a  distance  of  fifty 
feet,  emptying  into  a  pan,  3x6  feet,  four  inches  deep,  made 
in  this  manner :  This  pan  is  put  into  a  wooden  case  and 
covered  with  a  glass  sash  ;  set  it  at  an  angle  of  about  Ibrty- 


BEE    CULTURE. 


5? 


five  degrees.  The  honey  runs  around  these  partitions,  back 
and  forth,  a  distance  of  one-hundred  feet  before  it  reaches 
the  outlet  at  the  further  end  ;  from  there  it  passes  through 
ten  feet  of  pipe  into  the  tank,  containing  one  ton.  By  the 
time  it  reaches  the  tank,  the  water  is  pretty  well  evaporated." 

METAL   CORNERS   FOR   CRATE   COVERS. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Fletcher,  of  Sauk  Rapids,  Minn.,  has  made  a 
very  simple  little  contrivance  for  attaching  to  the  corners  of 


Fig.  33. — Metal  Corners  for  Crate  Covers. 

crate  covers.  These  can  be  made  of  tin,  require  no  especial 
ingenuity  to  manufacture,  are  easily  tacked  on  the  corners  of 
the  covers,  and  will  be  found  very  convenient  by  the  grocer 
or  family  to  hold  the  cover  exactly  in  place,  thereby  effect- 
ually excluding  flies  and  bees  from  the  honey.  Fig.  33 
illustrates  a  section  of  the  crate  and  cover  with  the  tin  corner 
attached. 

PUTTING   THE    GLASS   IN    THE    SECTIONS. 

This  is  not  such  an  easy  matter  to  do,  especially  without 
some  tool  to  drive  in  the  tin  points.  Mr.  C.  Wurster,  of 
Canada,  has  made  a  tool  to  do  this  (fig.  34),  the  use  of  which 
he  describes  as  follows  :  "  When  using  the  tool,  the  section 
must  be  laid  down  flat,  lay  the  glass  on,  and  the  side  of  the 
section  you  wish  to  drive  the  points  in  should  be  nearest  you, 


58  BEE   CULTURE. 

then  with  your  left  hand  hold  the  section  and  glass  in  place, 
and  with  the  left  hand  thumb  to  steady  the  tool,  having,  as 
will  be  noticed,  one  jaw  shorter,  which  must  be  facing  the 
glass  in  front  of  it,  keeping  the  tool  close  to  the  edge  of  the 


Fig.  oA.—Tool  for  Glassing  Sections. 

glass,  and,  while  pressing  down  with  the  left  fore-finger,  press 
the  glass  against  the  tool,  or  at  least  from  pushing  it  off  in 
case  a  point  is  a  little  faulty  and  sometimes  apt  to  bend. 

HONEY   AS   A   COMMERCIAL    PRODUCT. 

With  a  ready  and  anxious  market  for  our  comb  honey  in 
England,  France,  Grermany,  China  and  Japan,  as  eager 
consumers  of  American  extracted  honey,  all  fears  of  over- 
stocking the  market  are  happily  set  at  rest,  and  the  time  is 
not  far  distant  when  prices  will  be  as  quotable,  and  as  gener- 
ally uniform  as  for  any  other  product.  Nor  need  \ve  fear  a 
divided  market  Ijy  reason  of  Foreign  competition,  for  no 
country  in  Europe  is  so  greatly  favored  by  nature  for  honey 
producing  as  is  the  United  States,  and  none  produces  honey 
of  finer  quality. 

Time  was  when  prejudice  militated  greatly  against  our 
sales  abroad,  but  the  cultivation  of  fraternal  relations  with 
our  friends  in  Foreign  lands,  and  the  assurance  of  friendly 
feelings  and  honorable  transactions,  have  turned  their  honest 
prejudice  into  esteem,  and  their  jealousy  into  generous  co- 
operation. 

Our  faith  in  the  future  of  honey  as  a  staple  article,  like 
butter,  cheese  and  eggs,  is  strong  and  invincible.  To  this 
we  have  devoted  our  time,  energies  and  means,  and  we  are 
fully  aware  that  all  our  "  earnest  work,"  as  well  as  that  of 
our  CO  laborers,  will  be  rewarded.  Let  us  all  be  wide  awake 
— for  "  the  day  of  prosperity  '  for  our  chosen  avocation  is 
just  dawning. 


BEE    CULTURE.  59 


MANiGEMENT  OF  AN  APIAliY. 


LrCK    OR    SCIENTIFIC    MANAGEMENT. 

While  some  arc  naid  to  be  lucky  with  bees — others  could 
never  have  any  luck  with  thcui.  Some  will  not  sell  their 
bees,  others  will  not  even  give  them  away !  Still  others  will 
neither  sell  nor  give  them  away,  but  will  allow  them  to  be 
stolen,  if  sufficient  money  be  left  on  the  stand  to  cover  their 
value.  Some  superstitious  ones  contend  that  when  a  member 
of  the  family  dies,  some  one  must  go  and  whisper  it  to  the 
bees  or  they  will  do  no  good  afterwards.  A  host  of  other 
whims  could  be  arrayed,  belonging  to  the  age  of  superstition. 
Practical  knowledge  is  the  only  secret  of  success.  Stock- 
growers  say,  if  they  want  to  raise  good  stock  they  must  attend 
to  them,  and  administer  to  their  wants.  This  is  precisely  the 
case  with  bees,  and  is  the  sole  secret  of  that  success  which 
the  ignorant  and  lazy  ascribe  to  luck. 

THE    ITALIAN   BEES. 

Briefly  stated,  their  supei'iority  is  thus  demonstrated  : 

1.  They  have  longer  tongues  and  gather  honey  from  the 
flowers  where  black  bees  cannot. 

2.  They  are  more  industrious  and  persevering,  and  with 
the  same  opportunity  will  gather  much  more  than  black  bees. 

3.  They  work  earlier  and  later  in  the  day,  as  well  as  iu 
the  season,  often  gathering  stores  when  the  blacks  are  idle. 

4.  They  are  better  to  guard  their  hives  against  robbers, 
and  proof  against  the  ravages  of  the  bee  moth's  larvoe. 

5.  They  are  more  prolific  in  the  spring,  and  are  less  liable 
to  breed  in  the  winter. 

6.  Queens  adhere  more  tenaciously  to  the  comb. 

7.  They  are  amiable,  and  it  is  easy  to  manipulate  them. 


60 


BEE    CULtUtlfi. 


ITALIANIZING    OF   THE    APIARY. 

To  do  this,  a  tested  Italian  queen  (Fig.  ] )  sliould  be  ob- 
tained from  some  reliable  dealer  or  breeder,  and  introduced 
into  one  of  the  best  colonies  of  the  apiary.  For,  as  the  queen 
is  the  mother  of  the  colony,  to  change  queens  is  to  change  the 
whole  character  of  the  colony  in  a  short  space  of  time.  To 
successfully 

introduce    a   queen 

it  will  be  necessary  to  find  the  queen  to  be  superseded  and 
take  her  away.  A  black  queen  being  easily  frightened,  will 
hide  or  run  away  to  some  corner,  therefore  it  is  best  to  pro- 
ceed cautiously  and  without  jarring. 

In  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  the  old  bec!*  are  at  work, 
open  the  hive,  taking  out  the  centre  frame,  examine  both 
sides,  and  if  the  queen  is  not  there,  proceed  with  the  adjacent 
frames  till  she  is  found.      If  not  successful  the  first  time, 


Fig.  35.— Mandible  of  Queen,  greatly  magnified. 

close  the  hive  an  hour  or  two,  till  the  bees  become  quiet,  and 
then  repeat  the  operation.  An  Italian  queen  would  be  easily 
found,  but  the  blacks  are  more  troublesome.  When  found, 
either  destroy  her  or  make  such  other  disposition  of  her  as 
may  be  desired  ;  cage  the  Italian  queen  and  insert  it  between 
two  combs  containing  honey  which  the  (jucen  may  be  able  to 
reach  at  pleasure. 


BEE  CULTURE. 


61 


Fig.  36  gives  a  good  illustration  of  a  piece  of  furniture 
that  will  be  found  very  useful  in  an  apiary.  It  is  a  stand  on 
which  to  hang  the  first  frames  removed  from  a  hive,  when  an 
examination  of  it  is  made.  It  was  made  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Val- 
entine, who  describes  it  so  minutely  that  one  can  readily  make 
it.  Usually  the  first  frames  are  leaned  against  the  hive, 
standing  upon  the  ground,  and  more  or  less  bees  are  injured. 
With  this  "Stand,"  they  are  hungup,  entirely  out  of  danger. 


Fig.  36. —  Valentine's  Frame  Stand. 

"  The  uprights  are  l^x|^,  24  inches  high  ;  a  piece  1  inch 
square  runs  across  the  top  for  a  handle  to  lift  it  by  and  to  hold 
the  top  together.  Two  inches  below  the  top-bar  are  hooks  on 
both  sides,  so  as  to  hang  on  two  frames  if  desirable.  Four 
inches  below  the  bottom  of  the  frames  (when  suspended  on 
the  hooks)  is  a  shelf  12  inches  wide,  to  which  the  uprights 
are  nailed.  This  makes  a  nice  place  on  which  to  lay  cages, 
etc.  Under  this  shelf  is  a  drawer  6x8,  that  draws  out  on 
either  side,  in  which  I  keep  a  dozen  queen  cages,  a  sharp- 
pointed  knife,  and  a  small  pair  of  scissors."' 

In  about  48  hours  release  the  queen  upon  one  of  the  combs, 


62  BEE   CULTURE. 

and  see  how  she  is  received.  If  she  is  attacked  by  the  bees, 
molesting  her  wings  and  legs,  return  her  to  the  cage  for 
another  36  hours,  after  which  she  will,  no  doubt,  be  accepted. 
Queen  cells,  if  any  have  been  started,  should  be  destroyed. 

Another  plan,  and  one  that  is  regularly  practiced  in  our 
apiary  with  uniform  success,  is  to  make  the  colony  queenless 
for  24  hours,  and  then  with  an  Atomizer  (Fig.  37)  throw  a 
fine  spray  of  peppermint  water  over  both  the  (jueen  and  bees, 
letting  the  queen  loose  upon  one  of  the  central  combs,  and 
close   up  the   hive.     The  pepermint  water  makes   the  bees 


Fig,  37. — Atomizer,  for  Spraying  Bees. 

and  queen  of  the  same  scent^,  and,  almost  invariably,  she  is 
received  with  favor.  The  spray  is  so  fine,  that  it  is  not  the 
least  detriment  either  to  the  bees,  comb,  brood  or  honey. 

With  a  valuable  queen,  where  it  is  not  desired  to  take  the 
least  risk,  a  new  colony  may  be  formed,  by  taking  hatching 
brood  from  several  hives.  Being  A  I, I,  young  bees,  the  queen 
will  be  unmolested      This  may  be  done  with  i)erfect  safety. 

INSERTINCi    A    QUEEN    CELL. 

A  ripe  queen  cell  will  almost  invariably  be  received  with 
favor  by  a  queenless  colony.  Of  course  all  other  queen  cells 
must  be  destroyed. 

Fig.  38  shows  a  queen  cell  finished  and  sealed,  containing 
an  embryo  (jueen.  The  orifice  a  is  capped,  and  the  cell-walls 
are  thickened  preparatory  to  being  extended  in  the  direction 
of  the  dotted  lines  b  b. 

When  the  embryo  queen  is  nearly  mature,  within  12  to  16 
hours  of  emerging,  the  bees  begin  to  demolish  the  exterior 
compartment  (Fig.  38,  h  6),  reducing  it  to  a  level  with  the 
outer  edge  of  the  cap  of  the  cell  proper  (Fig.  38,  a).     The  con- 


BEE    CULTURE. 


63 


vex  cap,  being  then  very  prominent,  is  liable  to  be  injured  ; 
and,  to  protect  it.  the  bees  coat  it  wit4i  a  fresh  hiyer  of  wax, 
making  it  nearly  as  thick  as  the  cell  walls.  Fig.  39  shows 
the  ceU  as  seen  after  the  anterior  compartment  has  been  re- 
moved, exhibiting  the  convex  cap  a. 


Fig.  38. — Finished  Queen  CeU,  sealed  over. 

The  young  queen  pierces  a  hole  through  the  edge  of  the 
cover  (Fig.  39,  a)  with  her  mandibles  (Fig.  35),  and  then 
makes  a  circular  cut  along  its  periphery.  Being  thus  de- 
tached from  the  cell  walls,  the  cap  drops,  opening  a  circular 
passage,  through  which  the  queen  emerges. 

To  cut  a  queen  cell  out,  commence  on  each  side  of  the  base 
of  the  cell,  not  nearer  than  half  an  inch,  and  cut  upwards  a 
wedge-shaped  piece  (see  Fig.  11),  being  careful  not  to  squeeze 


Fig.  39.— .1  Bipe  Queen  Cell. 

or  even  to  handle  the  base  of  the  cell.  A  similar  wedge- 
shaped  piece  must  be  cut  out  of  the  frame  of  comb  that  it  is 
desired  to  put  the  cell  into.  Then  carefully  place  the  cell 
into  the  hole  thus  made,  fitting  it  securely  in  position  ;  place 
the  frame  into  the  hive  and  close  it  up. 


64 


BEE   CULTURE. 


MAKING   NUCLEI    COLONIES. 

Nuclei  are  made  by  taking  two  or  more  frames,  as  may 
be  desired  (at  least  one  of  which  should  contain  brood), 
with  adhering  bees,  and  the  fraine,  ah'eady  furnished  as 
described,  with  a  queen-cell,  and  shaking  into  the  hive  the 
bees  from  one  or  more  frames,  so  that  there  may  be  enough 
young  bees  to  remain  after  the  old  bees  have  returned  to 
their  former  hives,  to  keep  the  temperature  sufficiently  high 
to  hatch  out  the  brood,  as  well  as  to  care  for  the  emerging 
Queen.  In  making  up  nuclei  colonies  be  sure  not  to  take 
away  the  Queen  with  any  of  the  frames,  else  the  cell  Avill  be 
destroyed,  and  all  their  labor  lost. 

It  is  better  to  use  the  regular  frames  for  nuclei  hives,  and 
either  use  the  ordinary  hives  with  a  division-board  (Fig.  40) 
to  contract  the  brood-chamber,  and  economize  the  heat,  or 
make  small  hives  just  to  suit  the  number  of  frames  used. 


Fig.  40. — Division  Board. 


Many  inquire  whether  there  is  any  patent  on  the  ordinary 
division-board,  or  not.  We  say  emphatically,  No  !  One 
man  claims  a  patent  on  a  division-board  litted  up  with 
"woolen"  or  "rubber  strips,"  at  the  sides,  and  "  lugs,"  or 
feet  at  the  bottom.  No  one  need  fear  to  use  the  ordinary 
"  division-board."  A  board  of  one  piece  is  neither  patented 
nor  2)atcntable  ! 

As  the  virgin  Queen  emerges  from  the  nucleus  to  meet 
the  drones,  sometimes  the  bees  will  accompany  her  if  the}^ 
have  no  unsealed  brood.  To  prevent  this,  two  or  three 
days  after  the  Queens  are  hatched,  insert  a  frame  containing 
eggs  and  young  larvie  in  each  nucleus.  If  the  Queen  should 
be  lost  on  her  bridal  tour,  the  materials  will  be  on  hand  for 
the  bees  to  rear  another,  if  it  is  unnoticed  by  the  apiarist. 


BEE    CULTURE.  65 

When  the  nuclei  colonies  are  formed,  put  them  away  in 
the  shade,  and  in  two  or  three  days  the  Queen  will  be 
hatched,  and  a  week  or  ten  days  later  will  become  fertilized, 
and  be  laying  ;  this  raa.y  be  readily  discovered  upon  exami- 
nation. Now  the  apiai'ist  is  ready  for  the  formation  of 
new  colonies,  without  the  inconvenience  of  natural 
swarming,  by 

DIVIDING   THE    COLONIES. 

Bees  swarm  because  it  is  their  natural  manner  of  increase. 
By  dividing  them  we  secure  the  increase  without  swarming, 
and  save  time  in  watching  and  hiving  natural  swarms. 
This,  however,  must  not  be  overdone.  The  beginner  some- 
imes  imagines  that  by  dividing  he  can  make  almost  any 
mmber  of  colonies  from  each  one,  forgetting  that  strong 
colonies  are  the  only  ones  that  accomplish  anything. 
Dividing  should  never  be  done  unless  the  colony  be  very 
populous,  and  can  well  spare  the  bees  and  combs.  To  more 
than  double  the  number  of  colonies  each  season  is  not  good, 
unless  increase  is  desired  at  the  expense  of  honey. 

Some  divide  their  strong  colonies  equally,  or  nearly  so, 
carefully  looking  for  the  Queen,  jjutting  her  into  the  new 
hive,  placing  bees  and  brood  in  the  centre,  filling  up  with 
frames  containing  comb  foundation  (Fig.  69),  removing  the 
hive  with  the  Queen  to  a  new  location  ;  leaving  the  queen- 
less  colony  on  the  old  stand,  to  rear  for  itself  a  Queen  from 
the  bi'ood  it  possesses.  If  the  Queen  be  a  choice  one,  and  it 
is  desired  to  get  Queens  from  her,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  get 
the  queen-cells  started  for  the  nuclei,  as  before  described. 

Ordinarily,  ^ve  prefer  the  nucleus  plan  of  multiplying 
colonies.  Take  one  of  the  nucleus  hives  before  described 
(which  should  be  of  the  same  pattern  and  size  as  those  to 
be  divided),  and  remove  the  division-board.  Then  take  a 
frame  containing  brood  and  adhering  bees  from  each 
colony,  placing  them  into  the  nucleus  luitil  it  is  full.  Be 
sure  not  to  take  the  queen  awaj'  from  any  colom-.  The  bees 
that  will  hatch  out  in  a  few  days  will  make  that  nucleus  a 
populous  colony.  Put  a  frame  nearly  filled  with  comb 
foundation  (Fig.  69)  into  each  hive  from  which  the  frame 
of  brood  was  taken,  and  in  a  few  days  they  will  have  this 
all  worked  out  into  beautiful  comb  ;  and.  in  all  probability, 
filled  with  eggs. 


66 


BEE    CULTURE. 


The  new  colony  having  a  young  and  fertile  queen,  and  plenty 
of  bees,  will  soon  rival  the  old  one  in  the  vigor  of  its  work 
Each  of  the  nuclei  can  be  built  up  in  this  way,  giving  a  new 
colony  every  few  days — or,  if  the  apiary  be  large,  several  every 
day — and  thus  eifectually  prevnt  swarming.  Increase  being 
secured  in  this  way,  none  of  the  colonies  are  disturbed,  and 
the  bees  everywhere  "pursue  the  even  tenor  of  their  way." 
All  being  kept  strong  in  numbers  they  ai'e  ready  for  the 
honey  harvest,  and  will  work  in  boxes  very  willingly. 

Dividing  should  be  done  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  the 
bees  arc  busy  in  the  fields  and  the  yield  of  honey  is  abundant. 

Another  plan  practiced  with  success,  is  to  take  away  the 
division  board  in  the  nucleus  hive,  fill  the  frames  with  comb 
foundation  (Fig.  29),  and  exchange  places  with  a  populous 
colony,  caging  the  queen  of  the  nucleus  for  about  3(5  hours, 
or  until  her  acquaintance  has  been  made  by  the  strange  bees 
that  come  pouring  into  it  from  the  fields — for  bees  will  always 
return  to  the  exact  spot  occupied  by  their  home. 


Fig.  41. — Davis''  Queen  Nursery. 

To  raise  queens  for  the  purpose  of  Italianizing  an  apiary, 
the  Queen  Nursery  (Fig.  41),  invented  by  Dr.  Jewell  Davis, 
may  be  used  with  success.  Put  into  the  cages  of  the  nursery, 
between  the  tins,  a  few  cells  of  sealed  honey,  in  new  comb  if 
possible.  Then  cut  from  the  combs  of  a  pure  Italian  colony  as 
many  queen  cells,  large  and  well  developed,  as  you  have  pre- 


BEE    CULTURE.  67 

pared  cages  with  the  honey,  as  above.  Suspend  one  of  the 
cells  in  each  of  the  cages.  Good  care  should  be  taken  to  have 
the  best  cells,  and  not  injured  by  bruising,  handling  or  jarring. 
Having  thus  supplied  each  cage  of  the  nursery  with  a  queen- 
cell  and  food — the  food  is  thus  supplied  that  the  j'oung  queens 
may  not  starve  if  the  bees  do  not  feed  them,  a  thing  they 
often  fail  to  doAvhen  there  is  a  scarcity  of  honey  in  the  flowers. 
The  nursery  cages  so  prepared  are  adjusted  in  the  nursery 
frame.  Then  having  removed  a  centre  comb  from  a  strong 
black  colony,  the  queen-nursery  may  be  placed  into  the  vacancy 
made  by  the  removal  of  the  comb,  there  to  remain  until  the 
queens  are  hatched,  which  will  be  in  3  or  4  days,  if  the  cells 
were  not  cut  from  the  combs  too  early,  or  before  the  Uth  day. 
When  the  queens  have  emerged  from  the  cells,  remove  the 
cage  and  introduce  the  caged  queen  to  a  black  colony,  libera- 
ting her  on  the  next  day  about  sundown — if  necessary,  spray- 
ing the  bees  with  perfumed  water  by  the  atomizer  (Fig.  37). 


Fig.  A2.—Queen-Begistering  Slate. 

To  remember  dates  every  one  has  not  the  fticulty,  and  yet 
all  the  operations  of  queen-rearing  require  that  it  should  be 
done.  For  instance,  the  time  when  a  choice  colony  was  made 
queenless,  to  have  queen  cells  started — the  time  these  cells 
are  given  to  the  nuclei — the  time  of  hatching — when  the 
queens  commence  to  lay,  &c.  To  save  time  and  trouble  in 
remembering  these  and  other  dates,  a  small  slate  (Fig.  42), 
3x4  inches,  with  a  hole  in  the  center  of  the  top.  should  be 
hung  on  the  hive  by  a  small  nail  with  all  these  dates  written 
thereon.  A  printed  card  tacked  on  to  the  inside  of  the  cap 
is  used  by  .some  to  advantage,  in  keeping  track  of  such  dates. 

If  the  dividing  of  colonies  be  neglected,  or  if  it  is  not 
desired  to  practice  that  method  of  increase,  the  bees  will 
become  greatly  crowded  for  room,  and  will  necessarily 

SWARM. 

For  some  days  before  swarms  issue  the  bees  may  be  seen 
clustering  at  the  entrance  of  their  hive,  though  some  come 


68  BEE    CULTURE. 

out  where  there  are  little  or  no  indications  of  a  swarm. 
When  honey  is  abundant,  and  bees  plenty,  look  for  them  to 
come  forth  at  almost  any  time,  from  the  hours  of  10  in  the 
morning  to  3  in  the  afternoon,  for  first  swarms  ;  for  second 
and  third  swarms,  from  7  in  the  morning  until  4  in  the 
afternoon. 

By  examining  the  hive  it  can  be  ascertained  whether  they 
ai"e  about  to  swarm  or  not.  If  queen-cells  are  seen  with 
eggs  or  larvas  nearly  ready  to  be  sealed  over,  a  swarm  may 
be  expected  within  olie  or  two  days  after  the  first  cell  is 
sealed  over,  or  as  soon  after  as  the  weather  will  permit. 

After  whirling  a  few  minutes  in  the  air,  the  mass  of  the 
bees  will  cluster  on  the  branch  of  some  convenient  tree  or 
bush — generally  one  that  is  shaded  from  the  sun's  rays. 

They  should  be  hived  as  soon  as  the  cluster  is  formed, 
else  they  may  leave  for  the  woods  ;  or,  if  another  colony 
should  cast  a  swarm  while  the  first  was  clustered,  they 
would  probably  unite. 

Should  the  Queen  fail  to  join  the  bees,  by  reason  of 
having  one  of  her  wings  clipped,  or  for  any  other  cause,  the 
swarm  will  return  to  the  hive,  as  soon  as  they  make  that 
discovery.  As  the  bees  are  gorged  with  honey,  they  may 
be  handled  without  fear  of  stings. 

"After-swarms"  being  unprofitable,  all  but  one  of  the 
queen-cells  should  be  destroyed,  or  cut  out,  as  before 
desci'ibed,  for  nuclei — this  Avill  prevent  any  more  swarms 
issuing.  WitJiiu  eight  days,  the  first  Queen  will  issue,  and 
finding  that  she  has  no  rival  she  will  take  possession 
of  the  hive,  apiJarently  having  no  idea  of  swarming. 

To  ascertain  that  she  has  no  rival,  she  makes  a  peculiar 
sound — called  "  piping."  If  there  is  another  Queen  in  the 
cell  nearly  ready  to  emerge,  it  will  answer  by  a  "  piping  " 
sound.  If  this  Queen,  still  in  the  cell,  is  protected  by  the 
bees,  so  that  the  first  Queen  cannot  find  and  destroy  it,  she 
will  also  prepare  to  swarm  within  2  or  3  days.  After  the 
departure  of  this  swarm,  and  the  emerging  of  the  second 
Queen  and  her  "piping"  is  also  answered  by  a  third  Queen, 
a  third  swarm  may  also  issue. 

If  the  desire  to  swarm  is  satisfied  after  the  departure  of 
the  first  swarm,  the  queen-cells  will  be  all  destroyed  by  the. 
first  3'oung  Queen  that  emerges. 


BEE    CULTURE.  69 


HOW    TO    UlYF.    A    SWARM. 


If  the  cluster  be  ]o^v,  it  is  easily  performed.  The  queen 
is  usually  in  the  lower  part  of  the  cluster,  and  by  finding 
"her  majesty,"  and  placing  her  into  a  hive,  which  should  be 
placed  conveniently  near  for  the  purpose  of  hiving  the  swarm, 
and  with  a  dipper,  or  any  other  convenient  vessel,  place  the 
bees  down  in  iront  of  the  hive  on  a  sheet,  or  piece  of  paper. 
They  Avill  then  crawl  into  the  hive,  and,  finding  the  queen, 
be  satisfied  to  remain.  When  the  bees  are  in,  place  the  hive 
where  it  is  to  remain  ;  a  shaded  position  will  be  the  best.  If 
comb  foundation  (Fig.  29)  be  placed  into  the  frames,  it  will 
be  of  very  great  advantage  in  comb  building. 

If  they  have  clustered  on  a  branch  or  twig,  a  basket  will 
be  quite  essential,  into  Avhich  to  shake  or  brush  the  bees.  If 
on  a  wall  or  fence,  or  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  brush  them  into 
the  basket,  and  proceed  to  hive  as  before  described. 

A  frame  of  brood  and  another  of  honey  placed  into  the 
new  hive  will  be  of  much  advantage  to  the  bees.  The 
former  will  prevent  the  swarm  from  leaving  the  hive,  and 
should  the  queen  be  lost,  it  will  give  them  the  means  of 
raising  another,  .and  the  latter  will  give  them  a  good  start. 
By  filling  the  other  frames  with  comb  foundation,  (Fig.  29) 
they  will  soon  be  in  good  condition  and  perfectly  at  home  in 
their  new  quarters. 

Sometimes  a  swarm  will  make  for  the  woods  without  clus- 
tering—but this  is  rarely  the  case. 

The  beating  of  tin  pans,  and  all  such  old-fogy  notions,  is,  of 
course,  of  no  avail ;  throwing  a  stream  of  water  from  a  foun- 
tain pump  is  often  done  to  bring  down  an  absconding  swarm, 
and  cause  them  to  alight  and  cluster. 

THE    LOSS   OF   THE    QUEEN. 

When  the  bees  manifest  a  restless  and  uneasy  disposition 
by  running  about  the  front  of  the  hive  and  signaling  each 
other,  it  is  a  sign  that  they  have  lost  their  queen,  and  they 
should  be  examined  at  once. 

Should  a  colony  become  queenless  from  any  cause,  three 
•weeks  may  be  gained  by  having  an  extra  queen  to  give  it  at 
once.  Upon  examination,  if  no  brood  is  found  where  the  bees 
are  clustering,  the  colony  is  queenless.     At  any  time  during 


70  BEE    CUTiTURE. 

the  season,  from  March  to  October,  this  is  a  sure  sign.  Colo- 
nies tliat  lose  tlioir  queens  during  the  winter  have  a  forhmi 
appearance.  The  bees  walk  around  the  entrance  listlessly 
and  without  eagerness  ;  but  few  of  them  go  in  search  of  either 
honey  or  pollen. 

No  time  should  be  lost  in  giving  a  queenless  colony  a  comb 
of  eggs  or  young  larvae,  or  both,  from  which  to  raise  a  queen. 


Fio.  io. — Leys  of  an  Italian  Worker  Bee. 

Sometimes  such  a  colony  will  I'efuse  to  raise  queen  cells  :  it 
may  be  too  weak  ;  its  queen  may  be  too  old  to  lay,  or  they 
may  have  a  fertile  worker.  If  it  be  too  weak,  it  should  be 
united  with  another  colony.  If  its  queen  be  old,  she  should 
be  removed  and  the  bees  given  a  frame  of  brood  from  a  pros- 
perous colony.  If  it  has  a  fertile  worker  the  most  effective 
way  to  get  rid  of  it  is  to  break  up  the  colony,  dividing  it 
among  strong  colonies  having  fertile  queens. 


BEE  CULTURE. 


71 


Fig.  43  shows  the  legs  of  a  worker  bee.  The  two  at  the 
left  showing  the  outside  ;  while  the  two  at  the  right  exhibit 
the  appearance  of  the  inside  of  the  legs,  /.  e.,  that  part 
nearest  the  body.  Those  at  the  top  of  the  engraving  are  the 
anterior,  and  the  lower  ones  are  the  posterior  legs ;  the  latter 
showing  the  "pollen  baskets"  at  A,  A. 


Worker  bees  being  undeveloped  females,  it  is  not  strange 
that  now  and  then  one  may  be  sufficiently  developed  to  lay 
eggs.     Some  account  ibr  this  by  the  possibility  that  the  larva 


Fig.  44.— T/ie  Oi-anes 

may  have  been  adjacent  to  the  queen  cell  and  received  some 
of  the  royal  pabulum,  given  so  plentifully  to  the  queen. 

Prof  Leuckart  remarks  that  "  it  results  entirely  from  the 
development  of  egg-germs  and  eggs  in  the  individual  ovarian 
tubes — which  proceeds  precisely  in  the  manner  described  in 
the  case  of  the  queen."  As  they  are  incapable  of  meeting 
the  drones  and  becoming  fully  fertilized,  their  eggs  will  only 
produce  drones.  Fig.  44  presents  a  view  of  the  genitaKa  of 
such  a  bee.  It  differs  from  the  queen  merely  in  the  more 
advanced  development  of  the  ovaries.     (Fig.  43,  A  A). 

workers  deposit   the   eggs  in   a  very  irregular   manner, 
caused  by  the  tubes  being  very  imperfectly  furnished  with 


72 


BEE  CULTURE. 


TRANSFERRING  BEES. 

June  is  the  month  of  swarmiiig  in  the  Northern  States, 
wliile  in  the  Middle  and  Southern  States  the  early  and 
abundant  bloom  signal  its  advent.  The  best  time  to  transfer 
bees  from  the  common  to  movable-frame  hives  is  about  the 
season  of  swarming,  though  it  may  be  done  on  any  warm 
afternoon,  when  the  bees  are  actively  at  work. 

A  transferring  board  (Fig.  47),  about  the  size  of  the  frame, 
should  be  prepared  in  advance,  by  making  grooves  of  about 
one-half  an  inch  wide  and  one-fourth  of  an  inch  deep,  and 
about  2  inches  apart.  The  spaces  between  these  grooves 
should  be  cushioned  with  several  thicknesses  of  cloth,  to 
prevent  the  brood  from  being  injured  when  the  comb  is  laid 
upon  it. 

Transferring  sticks  (Fig.  46)  should  be  prepared  from  some 
light,  tough  wood,  about  one-half  inch  loncer  than  the  frames 


Fig.  i3.— Frame  of  Transferred  Comb. 

are  deep,  and  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  square.  Fasten 
two  of  these  sticks  together  with  a  piece  of  fine  annealed  wire, 
so  as  to  leave  about  one  inch  of  space  between  them,  (Fig. 
40)  ;  attach  a  piece  of  wire  to  the  other  end  of  one  of  the 
sticks,  (Fig.  40,  b.)  to  be  used  in  fastening  when  placed 
around  the  frame  of  comb.  (Fig.  45.)  A  small  notch 
should  be  cut  to  admit  the  wire,  and  prevent  slipping. — 
These  sticks  should  be  made  in  pairs,  and  be  kept  ready  for 
use. 

TRANSFERRING    FROM     A    BOX-HIVE. 

After  smoking  the  bees  at  the  entrance  of  a  box-hive, 
remove  it  .some  distance  from  the  old  stand,  leaving  an 
empty  hive  or  bo.x   in    its   place,    to    receive   the  bees  that 


hEE  cii/miE.  73 

return  from  the  fields  ;  invert  the  hive,  place  an  emptv  box 
or  hive  over  it,  of  the  same  size  and  shape,  wrapping  a  sheet 
or  cloth  around  where  they  come  together,  leaving  no  cracks 
large  enough  for  a  bee  to  escape.  By  gently  tapping  the 
hive  for  some  time,  most  of  the  bees,  with  the  queen,  will 
enter  the  upper  box.  When  they  have  nearly  all  left  the 
hive,  place  the  upper  box  with  the  bees  on  the  old  stand. — 
Being  alarmed  and  filled  with  honey,  they  may  be  handled 
without  fear. 

The  old  hive  may  now  be  removed  to  a  convenient  room  or 
building,  and  taken  to  pieces,  by  cutting  off"  the  nai^  with  a 
cold  chisel  and  prying  off  the  ends,  cutting  the  combs  when 
taken  out  as  near  as  possible  to  the  size  of  the  frames  to  be 
used.  The  transferring  board  (Fig.  47)  should  be  placed 
upon  a  table  or  box,  to  be  in  a  convenient  position  for 
working  over  it. 

The  pieces  of  combs  containing  honey  may  be  placed  at 
one  side  till  some  with  brood  are  found  ;  this  should  be  put 
upon  the  transferring  board  (Fig.  47),  so  that  when  the  frame 


I  •= 


Fig.  -iG. —  Wired  SticJiS  for  Transferring. 

is  placed  in  position  over  it,  the  brood  may  be  nearly  in  the 
same  position  as  it  occupied  in  the  old  hive  and  near  the  top 
of  the  frame,  as  that  will  be  the  warmest  position  in  the 
hive.  With  a  honey  knife  (Fig.  28)  cut  these  combs  to 
make  them  fit.  If  more  are  wanted  to  fill  the  frame,  use  the 
combs  of  honey  first  removed  from  the  hive.  Then  push  the 
ends  of  the  sticks,  (Fig.  46,  b,)  that  have  no  wire  attached, 
through  tlte  grooves,  from  the  bottom  of  the  frames,  where 
the  combs  nuiy  need  support ;  the  other  sticks  attached,  place 
on  the  top  of  the  comb,  and  fasten  the  ends  together  at  the  top 
of  the  frame,  as  seen  in  Fig.  45,  to  match  the  fastenings 
below.  Place  this  frame  in  the  hive,  and  proceed  in 
the  same  manner  with  the  next  brood  comb,  and  let  it  occupy 
the  adjoining  position  in  the  hive,  giving  the  frames  contain- 
ing honey  the  outside  position  on  either  side.  The  honey 
from  pieces  of  comb  not  used,  and  especially  from  all  drone 
comb,  should  be  removed  with  the  Extractor 


u 


BEE    CULTTIRE. 


Carry  the  new  hive  to  tlie  old  stand,  and  empty  the  beeS 
out  of  the  box  on  a  sheet,  in  front  of  the  hive.  See  that  the 
queen,  as  well  as  all  the  bees,  enter  it.  To  prevent  robbing, 
the  entrance  should  be  contracted  ;  and  in  two  or  three  days, 
when  the  bees  have  f^istened  the  combs,  the  transferring 
sticks  should  be  removed.  Always  work  slowly  with  the 
bees,  and  avoid  jarring. 

TRANSFERRING   FROM   A    MOVABLE-FRAME    HIVE. 

When  it  is  desired  simply  to  transfer  from  one  style  of 
frame  to  another,  smoke  the  bees  well,  and  after  finding  the 
queen  and  patting  her  in  a  tumbler  or  some  secure  place, 
take  a  frame,  and  shake  or  brush  the  bees  off  into  the  new 
hive  ;  place  the  frame  upon  the  transferring  board  (Fig.  47) 
and  cut  out  the  comb ;  place  the  new  frame  over  it  and  cut 


Fig.  47. —  Transferring  Board. 

to  suit  that  frame,  in  the  best  way  possible.  Then  fiisten  as 
before  described  with  wired  sticks,  (Fig.  46) ;  after  thus 
transferring  all  the  combs,  proceed  to  hive  the  bees  as  above 
directed,  letting  the  queen  loose  upon  one  of  the  brood  combs 
as  soon  as  they  are  transferred. 

UNITING    WEAK    COLONIES. 

"Weak  colonies  may  be  united  after  smoking  them  well,  by 
removing  the  combs  with  adhering  bees  and  placing  them 
together  in  one  hive,  spraying  them  with  peppermint  water 
by  an  atomizer  (Fig.  38),  to  give  them  all  tlie  same  scent. 
Give  them  ventilation  and  close  the  entrance  till  sunset, 
placing  them  where  the  stronger  of  the  two  colonies  stood. 
Swarms  issuing  the  same  day  can  be  united  peaceably. 


BEE    CULTURE. 


fS 


CLIPPING    THE    QUEEN  S    WING. 

This  is  done  to  prevent  her  from  leaving  with  a' swarm.  In 
attempting  to  fly  she  will  fall  to  the  ground  in  front  of  the 
hive,  and  the  bees  missing  her,  will  return  to  the  hive.  This 
must  not  be  done  until  after  the  queen  has  met  the  drone, 
or  she  will  remain  unfertile.  To  perform  the  operation,  open 
the  hive  and  lift  the  frame  carefully,  and  avoid  jars  ;  when 
the  queen  is  seen — with  a  pair  of  sharp-pointed  scissors,  lift 
one  of  the  front  wings  and  cut  off  about  one-half  of  it.  It  is 
better  that  she  be  walking,  or  at  least  standing,  so  that  a  leg 
be  not  cut  oif  with  the  wing.  She  should  not  be  handled  ; 
if  it  becomes  necessary  to  pick  her  up,  bo  sure  not  to  take 
her  by  the  abdomen.  She  may  be  held  by  the  wings  without 
danger. 

WASHING    OUT   DRONE    BROOD. 

Undesired  drone  brood  can  be  very  easily  washed  out  of 
the  comb  by  using  a  rubber  sprinkler,  which  will  be  found 
very  useful  for  other  purposes  about  the  apiary.     All  that  is 


Fig.  48. — Rubber  Sprinkler. 

required  being  a  basin  with  water  with  which  to  fill  the 
sprinkler,  and  into  which  the  brood  may  be  washed  out.  To 
use  the  sprinkler,  compress  the  bulb,  thereby  expelling  the 
air ;  then  put  the  nozzle  into  water,  and  it  will  fill  itself 

REMOVING  BEES  FROM  THE  COMBS, 

The  following  is  the  "shaking  oif  process"  as  practiced 
and  recommended  by  Mr.  G.  M.  Doolittle :  "Place  the  ends 
of  the  frame  on  the  ends  of  the  two  middle  fingers  of  each 
hand,  and  then,  with  a  quick  upward  stroke,  throw  the  ends 


76  BEE    CULTURE. 

of  the  frame  against  tlic  ball,  or  tliit-k  part  of  the  hand,  at 
the  base  of  the  thumb.  As  the  frame  strikes  the  hand,  let 
the  hands  give  a  sudden  downward  motion,  which  makes  the 
shock  still  greater.  As  the  frame  strikes  the  fingers  again, 
it  is  thrown  back  against  the  hand,  and  sd  on  till  all,  or  nearly 
all,  of  the  bees  are  off.  The  princijilo  is  that  the  bee  is  on 
her  guard  all  the  while  to  keep  from  i'alling  oft",  thus  holding 
on  tenaciously  so  as  not  to  be  easily  shaken  off".  By  the 
sudden  stopping  of  the  upward,  and  a  quick  downward  motion, 
the  bees  are  thrown  off  their  guard  and  dislodged  from  the 
comb.  I  do  not  remember  of  ever  having  broken  a  comb  by 
shaking  it,  as  above  described.  Now,  if  we  disturb  the  Ital- 
ians, causing  them  to  fill  themselves  with  honey,  they  can 
then  be  shaken  from  the  combs  about  as  easily  as  black  bees. 
But  even  if  we  cannot  afford  time  to  wait  till  they  are  filled 
with  honey,  four-fifths  of  them  can  be  shaken  off.  To  get  off 
the  I'emainder,  I  take  a  turkey  or  goose  quill  and  trim  down 
the  feather  edge  about  half  on  the  wide  side,  and  with  this  I 
have  no  trouble  in  getting  off  those  remaining,  without  irri- 
tating them.  Of  course,  it  will  appear  a  little  awkward  at 
first,  but  will  soon  be  found  easy  enough." 

PREPARING   BEES    FOR    SHIPMENT. 

The  best  time  for  shipping  bees  any  considerable  distance, 
is  in  April,  or  quite  early  in  May,  before  the  combs  are  too 
heavy  with  brood  ;  but  with  proper  care  in  preparing  them 
and  ordinary  usage  in  handling,  they  may  be  shipped  at  any 
time  with  comparative  safety,  except  in  (juite  cold  weather. 

The  first  work  is  to  go  through  the  hives  and  extract  about 
all  the  uncapped  honey,  as  the  least  daubing  will  prove  fatal 
to  the  bees  ;  then  procure  a  block  one  inch  S(juare,  and  as  long 
as  the  hive  is  wide,  in  this  cut  notches  and  tack  in  the  bottom 
of  the  hive,  in  which  to  place  the  frames  to  keep  them  steady; 
now  select  the  new  combs  and  those  heavy  with  brood  or 
sealed  honey,  secure  them  well  in  the  frames  with  strip- 
binders,  and  place  in  the  hive ;  tack  the  ends  of  the  frames 
firmly  to  the  rabbets  on  which  they  rest ;  dip  the  blanket  in 
clean  water,  lightly  wring,  fold  about  six  thicknesses,  and  lay 
on  the  front  ends  of  the  frames.  If  the  hive  has  no  portico, 
leave  oft  the  cover,  and  use  wire  cloth  instead,  nailing  on  top 


BEE    CULTURE. 


77 


of  that,  three  one-inch  strips,two  inches  wide — one  across  the 
center,  the  others  across  each  end,  to  insure  ventilation  when 
piled  on  each  other.  Now  tack  wire  cloth  over  the  entrance, 
and  your  bees  are  ready  for  shipment. 

If  the  hive  has  a  portico,  prepare  in  the  same  manner  as 
above,  except  to  bore  a  one-and-a-half  inch  hole  in  each  side 
of  the  brood  chamber,  and  also  in  the  cover,  which  will  be 
used  in  place  of  the  wire  cloth  over  the  frames  ;  the  holes  to 
be  covered  inside  and  outside  with  wire  cloth,  to  admit  of 
ventilation.  Leave  the  entrance  open  full  size,  but  cover  the 
entire  portico  securely  with  wire  cloth,  leaving  free  access  to 
it  from  the  interior  of  the  hive  ;  care  must  be  taken,  however,^ 
to  bore  a  one-and-a-half  inch  hole  under  the  roof-board  of 
the  portico,  and  left  open,  to  allow  free  ingress  to  the  interior 
of  the  hive,  as  the  entrance  beneath  may  become  choked  up, 
and  the  cluster  of  bees,  with  the  queen,  die  of  starvation 
through  inability  to  get  at  the  honey  in  the  hive.  Hives 
made  with  porticoes  are  much  better  for  shipping  bees,  for  it 
allows  them  to  drag  out  the  dead,  cleanse  the  hive,  and,  to  a 
great  extent,  prevent  dysentery.  Prepared  in  this  manner, 
full  colonies  may  be  shipped  at  all  seasons,  from  May  1st 
until  Aug.  10th,  with  perfect  success. 

Two  colonies  sent  to  New  Zealand,  after  being  confined  six 
weeks,  were  received  in  splendid  condition,  and  ar^  thus  de- 
scribed by  the  consignee,  after  their  arrival  :  "  The  hives 
my  bees  came  in  were  eight-framed  "  Langstroth,"  tin  rab- 
bets, bottom  board  flush  with  entrance,  nailed  on  to  body  of 
the  hive,  cover  flat  with  one-inch  strips,  one-and-a-half  inches 
wide,  nailed  across  the  top  at  each  end  :  from  one  end  of  cover 
tow&rd  the  center,  over  the  middle  frames,  a  piece  about  9x5 
inches  sawn  out,  and  one-inch  strips,  one-and-a-half  inches 
wide,  nailed  round  the  edge  on  the  upper  side.  This  hole  was 
covered  with  wire  cloth  on  under  side,  a  sponge  laid  on  that, 
and  then  covered  with  wire  cloth  on  upper  side,  and  the  cover 
screwed  down.  The  frames  contained  old  tough  comb,  and 
where  they  had  not  been  built  right  down  to  the  bottom  bar, 
strips  of  wood  were  joined  in  between  the  comb  and  bar, 
making  it  secure.  Two  wire  binders  were  put  around  each 
frame,  one-third  from  each  end,  and  in  one  of  the  center 
frames  a  flat  bottle  containing  water  was  fastened  with  wire, 


78  75EE   CULTURE. 

for  which  a  part  of  the  comb  had  been  cut  away,  next  to  the 
end  bar  ;  this,  of  course,  was  neck  downward,  corked  and 
some  himpwick  communicating  with  the  water.  The  frames 
rested  in  a  notched  strip  on  bottom  board,  the  width  of  the 
hive  (not  nailed),  and  two  notched  strips  secured  them  on 
top,  the  cover  going  down  on  these,  held  all  firmly.  The 
entrances  were  covered  with  wire  cloth,  and  directions  for 
giving  water  on  the  sponge  were  pasted  on  each  hive. 

Upon  arrival  it  was  found  that  about  a  gill  of  water  had 
been  used  from  each  bottle.  There  was  no  sealed  brood  in 
the  hives,  but  both  queens  had  commenced  to  lay,  as  there 
were  hatched  larva;  in  some  of  the  cells. 

UNITING    COLONIES    IN   EARLY    SPRING. 

Remove  the  queen  from  one  colony,  and  put  the  frames 
with  bees  and  brood  at  one  side,  putting  in  a  divider  made  by 
tacking  wire-cloth  on  one  side  of  a  brood  frame,  with  the 
ends  extending  to  reach  full  length  of  the  hive  ;  now  bring 
the  brood,  queen  and  bees  from  the  other  hive  and  place  in 
this  one  ;  close  the  entrance  on  the  bees  and  queen  put  in 
for  twenty  four  hours,  slant  a  board  in  front,  remove  the  hive 
vacated,  and  the  work  is  done.  In  twenty-four  hours,  or  the 
next  night,  remove  the  obstruction  from  the  entrance,  leaving 
the  slanting  board  in  front,  which  will  cause  the  bees  to  mark 
their  home  anew.  On  the  third  day  remove  the  dividing- 
frame  and  the  board  from  the  front.  No  hive  should  occupy 
the  old  stand,  from  which  the  queen  and  bees  were  removed, 
for  several  days. 

HOW    TO    SEPARATE    SWAR.MS. 

The  f /liowing  is  a  very  successful  plan  of  accomplishing 
this  task.  Messrs.  Bray  &  Seacord,  of  California,  say  that  it 
works  like  a  charm  every  time  :  "  Make  a  box  three  feet 
long,  wide  and  deep  enough  to  hang  the  frames  in,  from  the 
hive  you  use  ;  place  the  frames  in  the  box,  same  spaces  apart 
as  they  ai'e  in  the  movable  comb  hive  ;  make  one  entrance  for 
the  bees  on  the  side  of  the  box,  twice  the  length  and  of  the 
same  height  as  the  entrance  to  the  hive.  Make  throe  or  four 
division  boards  to  fit  the  box,  then  make  a  cover  with  cleats 
on  both  ^dcs  (no  end  cleats)  to  fit  the  box ;  hive  the  swarms 


BEE    CULTURE. 


79 


of  two  or  nioro  m  the  box  ;  place  the  box  in  the  shade  until 
the  next  morning,  then  push  the  cover  lengthwise  of  the  box 
and  jou  will  see  each  colony  clustered  b}-  themselves.  Put 
a  division  board  between  each  cluster,  after  which  push  back 
the  cover  over  the  box  and  set  it  where  you  wish  to  hive  the 
bees.  Place  the  hive  in  a  convenient  position  to  receive  the 
bees,  push  the  box  cover  back  from  over  the  first  cluster, 
carefully  drawing  out  the  frames  from  the  box,  for  the  bees 
build  comb  twenty-four  hours  or  less  from  the  time  hived. 
On  some  of  the  frames  you  will  find  comb  ;  place  those  frames 
with  bees  on,  into  the  hive.  This  will  start  a  roar  in  the 
hive  ;  the  rest  of  the  bees  can  be  removed  with  a  feather. 
When  all  the  bees  are  in  the  hive,  place  it  where  you  wish  it 
to  stand,  and  proceed  with  other  clusters  in  a  similar 
manner." 

Mr.  J.  W.  Bailey,  of  Wisconsin,  makes  '•  swarm  catchers  " 
of  wire  cloth  nailed  to  a  frame  (fig.  49),  and  thinks  them  the 
n«»st  valuable  assistant  for  the  apiary. 


Fig.  49.—Bailey^s  Swai-vi  Catcher. 

.  Mr.  J.  S.  Hill,  of  Ohio,  uses  a  swarm  catcher,  the  bag  of 
which  is  made  of  factory,  having  a  handle  of  cloth  on'the 
inside  as  well  as  the  out — making  it  reversible  (fig.  50). 
With  a  long  wooden  pole  it  will  reach  any  swarm,  and  when 
the  bees  are  emptied  in  front  of  the  hive,  the  handle  on  the 
outside  gives  the  apiarist  control  of  it,  and  when  turned  in- 
side-out, a  handle  is  still  on  the  outside,  as  it  has  two. 


80  bee  culture. 

robbj;r  bees. 

If  all  the  colonies  are  kept  strong  there  is  no  danger  of 
robbing.  It  is  only  the  weak  ones  that  are  robbed.  AVorking 
with  bees  at  unseasonable  times,  iCaving  honey  exposed  in 
the  apiary,  etc.,  induces  robbing.  Colonies  of  black  bees  and 
nuclei  ai*e  usually  the  sufferers.  Contracting  the  entrance,  so 
that  but  a  single  bee  can  pass,  is  usually  a  cure  for  robbing. 
In  times  of  scarcity  of  honey,  the  apiarist  should  be  careful 
not  to  keep  a  hive  open  long,  or  robbing  may  be  the  result. 
All  strong  colonies  maintain  sentinels  at  the  entrance  in 
times  of  scarcity.  Those  of  that  colony  are  allowed  to  pass, 
but  strangers  are  "  arrested  on  the  spot."  If  a  colony  ir 
unable  to  defend  itself,  close  up  the  entrance  with  wire  clotlv 
and  remove  it  to  the  cellar,  or  some  other  convenient  place> 


Fig.  50. — HilVs  Stjoarm  Catchei 


for  a  few  days,  and  when  it  is  returned  to  the  old  stand,  con- 
tract  the   entrance   to  allow   only  one  bee  to  pass  at  a  time. 


I'EKDING   BEES. 

Feeding  early  in  the  spring  is  advisable  to  stimulate  breed- 
ing, and  keep  the  colony  strong,  so  that  when  the  early  bloom 
comes  it  may  be  strong  enough  to  gather  the  delicious  nectar. 
AVhenever  there  is  any  necessity  for  it,  feeding  pays. ; 
especially  in  the  fall,  before  preparing  for  winter,  if  their 
stores  are  insufficient,  feed  them  ;  each  colony  should  have  at 
least  thirty  pounds  of  good  capped  honey. 

p]xtracted  honey,  or  coffee  A  sugar,  reduced  to  the  consis- 
tency of  honey,  is  best  for  feeding,  in  the  absence  of  good 
sealed  honey.     The  poorer  grades  of  sugar  and  glucose  are 


BEE    CULTURE. 


81 


totally  unfit  for  feeding  bees.     To  stimulate  in  the  spring, 
one-half  of  a  pound  per  day  is  all-sufficient  for  a  colony. 

For  feeding  inside  the  hive  the  division-board  feeder  (fig. 
51)  may  be  used  to  advantage.  It  was  devised  by  Prof. 
Cook,  who  describes  it  thus  :  "  The  top  bar  of  this  division- 
board  feeder  (fig.  51)  is  two  inches  wide  ;  from  the  upper  cen- 
tral portion,  beneath  the  top-bar,  a  rectangular  piece  the  size 
of  an  oyster-can  is  replaced  with  an  oyster-can  (G),  after  the 
top  of  the  latter  has  been  removed.  A  vertical  piece  of  wood 
(d)  is  fitted  into  the  can  so  as  to  separate  a  space  about  one- 
inch  square,  on  one  side  from  the  balance  of  the  chamber. 
This  piece  does  not  reach  quite  to  the  bottom  of  the  can, 
there  being  a  one-eighth  inch  space  beneath.  In  the  top-bar 
there  is  an  opening  (e)  just  above  the  smaller  space  below. 


Fig.  51. — Division-Board  Bee  Feeder. 

In  the  larger  space  is  a  wooden  float  (f)  full  of  holes.  On 
one  side,  opposite  the  larger  chamber  of  the  can,  a  half-inch 
piece  of  the  top  (c)  is  cut  off,  so  that  the  bees  can  pass 
between  the  can  and  top-bar  on  to  the  float,  where  they  can 
sip  the  feed.  The  feed  is  tui-ned  into  the  hole  in  the  top-bar 
(e),  and  without  touching  a  bee,  passes  down  under  the  ver- 
tical strip  (d)  and  raises  the  float  (f).  The  can  may  be 
tacked  to  the  board  at  the  ends  near  the  top.  Two  or  three 
tacks  through  the  can  into  the  vertical  piece  (d)  will  hold 
the  latter  firmly  in  place  ;  or  the  top-bar  may  press  on  the 
vertical  piece  so  that  it  cannot  move.     Crowding  a  narrow 


82 


BEE    CULTrRE, 


piece  of  woolen  cloth  between  the  can  and  board,  and  nailing 
a  similar  strip  around  the  beveled  edge  of"  the  division-board, 
makes  all  snug.  The  feeder  is  placed  at  the  end  of  the 
brood-chamber  and  the  top-bar  covered  by  the  quilt.  To  feed, 
we  have  only  to  fold  the  quilt  over,  when,  with  a  tea-pot,  we 
pour  the  feed  into  the  hole  in  the  top-bar.  If  a  honey  board 
is  used,  there  must  be  a  hole  in  this  just  above  the  hole  in 
the  division-board  feeder.  In  either  case,  no  bees  can  escape, 
the  heat  is  confined,  and  our  division-board  feeder  is  but  lit- 
tle more  expensive  than  a  division-board  alone.  The  best 
time  to  feed  is  just  at  nightfall.  In  this  case  the  feed  will 
be  carried  away  before  the  next  day,  and  the  danger  to  weak 
colonies  from  robbing  is  not  so  great." 

Shuck's  Bee  Feeder  (fig.  52)  feeds  at  the  entrance,  any  time 
in  the  day,  without  danger  from   robber  ,  as  the  food  can  be 


Fig.  52.— S/utcfc's  Bee  Feeder. 

reached  only  from  the  inside  of  the  hive  ;  it  is  placed  on  the 
alighting  board,  with  the  side  (d)  nearly  covering  the  entrance. 
In  the  engraving,  the  top  is  cut  away  to  show  the  wood  divisions 
(A  a)  in  the  feed-cup  ;  the  food  is  poured  into  it  without  re- 
moving, through  the  hole  (c),  which  is  covered  with  wire- 
cloth.  When  done  the  cap  (b)  is  closed  over  it,  making  all 
tight. 

QUIETING    AND    HANDLING    BEES. 

The  bee  sting  is  composed  of  three  distinct  parts,  of  which 
the  sheath  ibrms  one.  These  three  parts  join  near  the  edges, 
and  form  a  tube  which,  viewed  sectionally,  has  the  shape  of 
a  triangle,  the  angles  being  rounded  off. 

The  other  two  parts  constitute  the  sting  proper,  and  in  a 
sectional  view  are  semi-circular  (fig.  53,  A),  the  upper  edges 
being  thicker  than  the  lower  ones,  and  squared  to  each  other, 
ope  of  the  edges  having  a  projection  extending  along  the 


BEE    CULTURE. 


83 


ander  or  inner  portion  of  it.  thereby  forming  a  rabbet  along 
which  the  opposite  part  freely  moves.  The  under  or  inner 
edge  of  each  of  these  parts  tapers  down  to  extreme  thinness, 
while  near  the  termination  of  the  edge  there  runs  a  minute 
groove  which  corresponds  with  the  ridge  mentioned  in  the 
description  of  the  sheath,  and  along  which  the  parts  move 


Fig.  -53. — Sectional  View  of  a  Bee  StiiKj 

freely.  Each  of  these  parts  properly  tapers  down  to  an 
exceedinglv  tine  point.  Near  the  point  begin  the  barbs  (fig. 
53,  b),  whicli  in  some  stings  number  as  many  as  ten,  extending 
along  the  sting  nearly  one-half  its  length,  and  are  well- 
defined.  It  may  happen  that  one  or  both  of  the  chief  parts  of 
the  sting  are  left  in  the  wound  when  the  sheath  is  withdrawn, 
but  are  rarely  perceived  on  account  of  their  minuteness,  the 


84 


BEE    CULTURE. 


person  stung  at  the  same  time  congratulating  himself  that 
the  sting  has  been  extracted. 

On  being  stung,  if  the  poison-bag  has  not  been  emptied, 
remove  it  and  suck  the  wound  strongly  to  extract  the  poison  ; 
this  is  usually  sufficient.  If  not,  apply  ammonia  or  salt  to 
the  part  to  prevent  swelling.  Still  another  plan  used  with 
success  is  to  blow  some  smoke  on  the  place  from  the  bee 
smoker  (fig.  54). 

Smoke  is  harmless  and  is  the  best  thing  to  alarm  and  quiet 
bees.  With  a  good  smoker  (fig.  54),  blow  a  little  smoke  in 
at  the  entrance  before  opening  the  hive.     Give  them  a  little 


Fig.  .54. — Bingham^s  Bee  Smoker. 

more  as  you  uncover  the  frames  ;  if  very  cross  repeat  the 
dose,  until  they  yield  obedience  ;  then  they  may  be  handled 
with  safety.  Handle  them  gently  and  without  fear,  avoiding 
all  quick  motions  ;  such  usually  incite  them  to  anger.  When 
honey  is  being  stored  rapidly,  Italians  may  be  handled  with- 
out smoke  ;  when  there  is  a  scarcity  it  is  not  safe  to  do  so. 

To  those  who  are  commencing,  and  until  iamiliarity  causes 
the  loss  of  fear,  a  pair  of  good  gauntlet  gloves  and  a  veil  are 
necessary,  but  after  that  fear  has  been  overcome,  a  good  veil 
will  be  sufficient.  Such  may  be  placed  over  a  hat,  the  bottom 
of  it  coming  down  under  the  coat  or  vest,  and  when  thus  ad- 


BEE    CULTURE.  85 

justed  it  is  a  complete  protection  for  the  neck  and  face  (fig. 
55).  It  being  made  of  white  netting,  it  does  not  stain  the 
clothing,  and  as  the  piece  over  the  face  is  black,  it  can  be 
seen  through,  nearly  as  well  as  if  not  worn. 

A  pair  of  gauntlet  rubber  gloves  is  best  for  those  who  need 
such  protection,  while  unaccustomed  to  manipulating  bees. 
The  advanced  apiarist  prefers  to  have  the  free   use  of  his 


Fig.  55. — Bee  Veil. 

hands  at  all  times.  Bees  when  gorged  with  honey  are  very 
peaceable ;  when  often  handled  they  become  accustomed  to 
the  practice,  and  when  this  is  gently  done,  they  will  scarcely 
notice  the  disturbance. 

SHIPPING   AND    INTRODUCING    QUEENS. 

Fig.  56  shows  a  safe  introducing  cage,  which  is  made  by 
taking  four  strips  of  wood  about  four  inches  long  and  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  square  ;  mortise  both  ends  of  one  piece  half 
way,  and  one  end  each  of  two  others,  so  as  to  form  a  three- 
sided  frame  ;  on  this  tack  fine  wire  cloth,  and  through  each 
side-piece  drive  two  three-fourths  or  one-inch  finishing  brads, 
letting  the  ends  project ;  drive  two  brads  through  the  fourth 
or  loose  strip.  Take  from  the  brood  chamber  a  frame  of 
comb  containing  sealed  brood,  remove  the  queen  from  it,  if 
there;  then  shake  the  old  bees  in  front  .of  the  hive,  and  place 


86 


BEE    CULTURE. 


tho  introducing  cage  on  the  comb,  over  scaled  brood  and  a  few 
cells  of  uncapped  lione^^,  letting  tlie  projecting  nails  run 
through  the  comb  so  as  to  hold  the  cage  firmly  and  closely  on 
the  surface  of  the  comb ;  then  let  the  queen  run  from  the 
shipping  cage  under  the  wire  cloth,  and  quickly  close  by 
placing  the  fourth  strip  on  the  comb  at  the  open  end  of  the 


Fig.  56. — Surface  Introducing  Cage. 

cage  (fig^  56).  Replace  the  frame  in  the  hive,  and  the  work 
is  done.  The  young  bees  emerging  from  the  cells  affiliat^^ 
with  the  queen  confined  vvith  them,  and  the  newly  emptied 
cells  aff'ord  room  for  depositing  eggs.     At  the  end  of  two  or 


Fig.  57.—Oatman's  Introducing  Cage. 

three  days  she  can  be  released  by  removing  the  end  strip,  and 
all  danger  from  "  balling"  is  obviated. 

Many  queen  cages  are  on  the  market  for  shipping  and 
introducing  queens,  and  almost  all  of  them  are  well  adapted 
to  the  use  for  which  they  are  intended. 


BEE    CULTURE.  87 

WOOD-ZINC     HONEV-BOARD. 

This  is  made  of  alternated  strips  of  wood  (IJ  iuclies  wide) 
and  perforated  zinc  (I  of  an  inch  wide),  with  one  row  of 


Fig.  ^S.—  Wood-Zitic  Slatted  Eo7ici/-Board. 

holes.  The  zinc  strips  are  held  in  place  by  fitting  into  saw- 
kerfs  on  the  sides  of  the  strips  of  wood.  It  can  be  made  to 
tit  anj'  hive. 

BEE-DIARRHEA. 

Bee-diarrhea  in  the  latter  part  of  winter  and  earl}-  spring 
is  a  malad}'  that  affects  some  apiaries.  The  bees  discharge 
their  excrements  over  the  hives  and  combs,  producing  a 
dark  appearance  and  offensive  odor.  The  cause  is  either 
fermented  honey,  improper  food,  long  continement,  or  too 
warm  and  poorly-ventilated  quarters.  Give  them  good 
capped  honey  and  a  cleansing  tllght.  If  too  cold  for  this, 
out-of-doors,  take  the  hive  into  a  warm  room,  make  a  box, 
with  the  front  and  top  made  of  wire-cloth  or  m(^quito 
netting,  adjust  it  to  the  entrance,  so  that  the  bees  must 
enter  it  on  leaving  the  hive.  This  will  usually  prove  an 
effectual  remedy. 

FOUL    BROOD    DISEASE. 

Foul  brood  is  the  rotting  of  brood  in  a  hive  ;  the  caps  of 
the  sealed  brood  appear  indented  and  shriveled,  and  the 
larvai  and  3"oung  bees  in  unsealed  cells  become  putrid, 
emitting  a  disgusting  stench. 

When  the  disease  has  a  firm  hold,  even  though  it  may  be 
possible  to  cure  it,  we  should  advise  the  total  destruction  by 
fire,  of  the  bees,  combs,  frames  and  hives,  with  everything 
which  might  harbor  the  disease.  In  its  primaiw  stages  it 
may  be  cured  in  this  way  :  With  an  atomizer  (Fig.  37) 
spray  the  hive,  bees,  brood,  honey  and  combs  with  a  solution 
of  salicylic  acid,  borax  and  rain  water,  repeated  on  the 
sixth  day.  Remove  the  diseased  brood  from  the  hive,  and 
give  them  capped  honey — if  not  too  far  advanced,  this  may 
give  relief. 


BEE    CULTURE. 


The  following  is  Mr.  D.  A,  Jones'  method:  "Remove 
all  the  combs  not  containing  brood,  extract  the  honey  and 
boil  it,  then  it  is  ready  to  feed  back.  Render  the  combs  into 
wax  and  make  it  into  foundation  ;  boil  the  frames  fifteen 
minutes,  and  fill  in  the  foundation  again,  placing  them  in 
clean  hives ;  drum  and  smoke  the  bees  until  they  all  fill 
themselves  with  honey  (this  is  very  important,  for  if  some 
are  not  filled,  they  will  die  when  others  have  plenty)  ;  shake 
off  the  bees,  leaving  enough  to  nurse  the  brood  ;  place  them 
in  a  box  covered  with  wire  cloth,  carry  it  to  a  dark,  cool  cel- 
lar or  bee  house,  lay  it  on  its  side,  and  allow  the  bees  to 


Fig.  C)0.—Ilastinys''  IShij^ping  Cage. 

remain  there  from  sixty  to  eighty  hours,  until  they  drop,  and 
show  signs  of  starvation  ;  then  shake  them  into  the  clean 
hives  with  foundation,  feed  them,  and  put  them  into  a  new 
location  at  least  one  or  two  miles  away  from  the  diseased 
yard.  As  soon  as  the  queen  and  bees  are  removed  for  starv- 
ing, the  hatching  brood  and  bees  should  be  doubled  up,  so  as 
to  have  all  colonies  full  of  combs  of  hatching  brood.  The 
empty  hives  thus  secured  should  be  scalded  for  future  use. 
As  soon  as  all  the  brood  hatches,  the  bees  may  be  brushed 
off  the  combs  after  being  made  to  fill  themselves  with  honey, 
like  the  first  lot,  placed  in  boxes,  and  treated  in  the  same 
way.  Now  bring  the  first  lot  purified  back  to  the  yard  again, 
and  you  have  all  your  bees  and  iiives  purified  and  free  from 
disease,  if  you  have  done  it  as  it  should  be  done,  without  any 
loss  except  your  time." 


BEE   CULTURE.  89 


THE  IMEY  EXTRACTOR  AND  ITS  USE. 


THE    INVENTION   OF   THE    EXTRACTOR. 

Following  closely  after  tlie  increased  knowledge  concern- 
ing the  natural  history  of  the  Honey  Bee  came  improvements 
ill  bee  hrves  and  modern  appliances  for  obtaining  the 
increased  production  of  honey.  Major  Von  Hruschka,  a 
retired  Austrian  officer,  who  was  then  keeping  bees  in  Italy, 
invented  the  Honey  Extractor  ;  and  its  great  value  is  every- 
where admitted  by  all  progressive  bee-keepers. 

The  following  is  a  brief  history  of  the  discovery  :  One  day 
when  the  Major,  who  was  a  most  observing  and  critical 
bee-keeper,  was  in  his  apiary,  his  little  boy  came  there  to 
him.  The  boy  had  a  small  tin  pail  tied  to  a  string,  which  he 
was  swinging,  boy-like,  around  and  around  in  a  circle,  hold- 
ing the  end  of  the  string  in  his  hand.  The  father^  gave  the 
youth  a  small  piece  of  comb  filled  with  honey,  putting  it  into 
the  little  pail.  The  boy,  after  a  while,  began  to  swing  the 
pail  again  as  before,  with  the  honey  in  it.  A  few  moments 
after,  he  became  tired  of  that  amusement,  and  put  the  pail 
down  to  talk  to  his  father,  who  took  it  up,  and,  by  chance, 
noticed  that  the  honey  had  left  the  comb  and  settled  down 
into  the  pail,  leaving  the  comb  perfectly  clean  that  had  been 
on  the  outside  of  the  circle  when  the  boy  was  swinging  it 
around.  The  Major  wondered  at  the  circumstance,  and, 
turning  the  comb  over,  bade  the  boy  swing  it  again,  when,  to 
his  great  astonishment,  the  other  side  of  the  comb  also 
became  perfectly  clean,  all  the  honey  being  extracted  and 
lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  pail.  That  night  Major  Yon 
Hruschka,  after  going  to  bed,  commenced  to  think  the  cir- 
cumstance over ;  he  thought,  and  thought,  and  his  thoughts 
troubled  him  so  much  that  on  the  morrow  he  commenced  a 
series  of  experiments  which  resulted  in  his  giving   to   the 


90 


BEE  CULTURfi. 


World  tlio  first  honey  extractor,  which,  by  whirling,  some- 
thing like  Ills  son  wliirlcd  that  little  tin  pail,  gave  him  the 
pure  liquid  honey,  extracted  by  centrifugal  force,  leaving  the 
honey  comb  entirely  free  from  the  liquid  sweet,  which  he 
gave  again  to  the  bees  to  fill  ;  allowing  him  the  pure  honey 
for  making  wine,  mead  and  metheglin,  or  honey  cakes,  as 
desired,  without  employing  the  troublesome  and  primitive 
method  in  use  up  to  that  time,  of  mashing  up  the  combs  con- 
taining the  honey,  pollen,  and  sometimes  brood,  too,  to  let  the 


Fig.  (il. — Honey  Extractor. 

honey  drain  through  the  cloth  in  which  it  was  placea — giving 
what  was  formerly  known  as  ''strained  honey." 

Major  Von  Hruschka's  original  and  complicated  Hone}' 
Extractor  has  been  vastly  improved  in  America  by  Messrs. 
Winder,  Peabody,  Murphy,  Chapman.  Root,  Everett,  Muth, 
Coffinberry,  and  others.  Now  we  have  neat  and  inexpensive 
machines  which  do  their  work  well  and  rapidly,  but  honey 
consumers  generally  have  no  idea  how  it  is  accomplished,  and 
some  ''  old  fogy  "  bee-keepers  as  well  as  novices,  still  ask  how 
it  is  done. 


BEE    CULTTTRB,  dl 

Extracted  honey  is  obtained  by  the  combs  being  uncapped 
and  placed  in  the  basket  or  frame-holder  of  a  Honey  Extractor 
(fig.  62),  which  being  attached  to  a  single  rod  in  a  large  can 
and  revolved,  the  centrifugal  force  throws  out  the  pure 
honey  from  the  combs,  which  runs  down  the  sides  of  the  can 
and  is  drawn  off  and  placed  in  jars  or  some  other  desirable 
receptacle.  Extracted  honey  is  the  pure  liquid — minus  the 
comb. 


Fig.  62.— Comb  Baslcet  of  an  Extractor. 

The  essential  points  in  a  good  Honey  Extractor  are  :  one 
that  can  be  easily  taken  to  pieces  and  cleaned — one  that  the 
shaft  holding  the  revolving  basket  in  position,  does  not  revolve 
in  the  honey — one  that  has  sufficient  room  below  the  comb 
basket  to  allow  the  honey  to  remain  and  ripen  before  draw- 
ing it  off,  leaving  it  clean  and  free  from  sediment,  and  fit  for 
the  market — one  that  has  an  over-motion  and  strong  gearing 
so  essential  to  ease  of  operation  and  efi"ective  work — one  that 
has  covers  to  protect  the  honey  from  insects — and  one  that 
may  be  easily  operated. 

Honey  must  be  "  uncapped  "  before  extracting,  therefore, 
a  good  honey  knife  is  a  necessity.     Such  is  the  Bingham  & 


92  BET)    OULTTTRE. 

Hetherington  honey  knife  (fig.  63).  It  is  made  of  the  best 
steel,  strong  at  the  bend  near  the  handle,  and  is  wide  enough 
to  allow  the  cappings  to  remain  on  the  knife  while  running 
across  the  comb.  Both  edges  are  sharp  and  are  beveled  on 
the  side  that  comes  in  contact  with  the  combs.  This  pre- 
vents   the    knife   from  adhering  to  the   combs   and  tearinij 


Fig.  63. — Bingham  d-  Hetherington  Honey  Knife. 

them,  while  shaving  off  the  cappings.  As  both  edges  are 
alike,  it  admits  of  being  used  for  right  or  left-hand  Avork — 
the  sharp  point  also  allows  it  to  be  used  in  corners  or  uneven 
places. 

Another  and  cheaper  one  is  the  Muth  knife  (fig.  64)  which, 
though  it  is  not  as  desirable,  will  be  used  by  those  desiring 
an  inexpensive  knife. 

WHEN   TO   USE    THE    HONEY   EXTRACTOR. 

Honey  can  be  extracted,  if  carefully  done,  without  the 
least  injury  to  the  bees  or  the  comb;  the  latter  may  be 
replaced  in  the  hive,  and  often  are  refilled  by  the  bees  within 
three  or  four  days. 

When  the  breeding  apartment  becomes  so  full  of  honey 
that  the  queen  has  no  room  to  lay,  to  extract  it  is  a  necessity. 


Fig.  6i.—Muth^s  Honey  Knife. 

By  the  extractor  all  the  honey  can  be  taken  from  partly-filled 
sections — a  holder  for  small  pieces  of  comb  (fig.  65)  being 
furnished  with  some  extractors  for  that  purpose,  as  well  as 
extracting  from  pieces  when  transferring.  By  its  judicious 
use,  luany  pounds  of  honey  can  be  obtained  that  would  not  be 
completed  in  the  sections  by  the  bees. 

Empty  combs  in  the  .spring  are  invaluable,  and  in  the  fall 
there  are  usually  many  surplus  brood  combs.     By  extracting 


BEE   CULTURE. 


93 


the  honey  from  these  and  carefully  putting  them  away,  you 
not  only  have  the  honey  for  use  or  sale,  but  also  the  much- 
desired  combs  in  the  spring. 

Inexperienced  bee-keepers  are  sometimes  tempted  to 
extract  too  closelv,  and  thus  ruin  the  colony.  The  Extractor 
should  only  be  used  when  there  is  a  rapid  storing  of  honey, 
and  the  outside  frames  of  comb  are  nearly  capped  over- 
Capped  brood  will  not  be  injured,  but  there  is  danger  in  using 
the  extractor  when  the  brood  is  uncapped. 

To  prevent  swarming,  the  honey  extractor  is  successtully 
used  by  some.     Its  frequent  use   will  usually  control  it.— 


Fig.  (id.—Small  Piece  Ho.iey  Comb  Holder. 

:Many  swarms  and  large  yields  of  honey  will  not  be  obtained 
during  the  same  season.  The  one  will  be  at  the  expense  of 
the  other. 

HOW   TO   EXTRA.CT. 

With  a  good  "  smoker,"  blow  some  smoke  in  at  the 
entrance  of  the  hive  ;  after  awhile,  open  it  and  take  out  the 
frames  of  honey  you  wish  to  extract  from.  Shake  the  bees 
from  each  frame  by  one  or  two  sudden  jars,  brushhig  the 
remainino;  ones  off.  right  over  the  frames  into  the  hive,  or 
down  in'front  of  the  entrance,  with  a  large  feather  or  small 
turkey-wing. 

Place  empty  combs  or  a  frame  furnisned  with  comb  foun- 
dation in  place  of  those  taken  from  the  first  hive.  A  box,  or 
carry-all,  with  legs  and  folding  covers,  capable  of  holding 
about  ten  frames.'and  having  long  projecting  handles  is  very 
convenient  to  carry  the  frames  to  the  operating  room.     Mr. 


94  BEE    CULTURE. 

Davis,  of  Tenn.,  has  devised  a  honey  carriage  (fig.  66)  for  this 
purpose,  which  combines  many  useful  points. 

After  carefully  removing  the  "  cappings  "  with  a  sharp  knife 
(fig.  63)  from  one  comb,  place  it  into  the  comb  basket  of 
the  extractor,  with  the  uncapped  side  outwards ;  select 
another  of  about  the  same  weight,  and  repeat  the  operation. 
A  few  turns  of  the  crank  throws  out  the  honey.  Then 
remove  these  frames,  uncap  the  other  side,  and  after  extract- 
ing the  honey  from  them  all  as  before  described,  place  them 
back  into  the  carry-all,  and  take  them  to  the  next  hive  to  be 
extracted ;  perform  the  same  operation,  using  the  frames  just 


Pig.  G'J. — Daws'  Honey  Carriage. 

"extracted"  from,  to  fill  the  places  of  those  taken  from  the 
hive,  and  repeat  the  operation  till  all  the  hives  are  treated 
in  the  same  manner  that  have  a  surplus  of  honoy. 

By  this  plan,  much  work  is  saved,  each  colony  is  handled 
but  once,  the  bees  are  less  disturbed  and  will  resume  work 
much  sooner.  If  desired,  the  frames  from  the  last  hive  may 
be  given  to  the  first,  after  being  emptied  of  the  honey,  instead 
of  empty  frames — if  no  extra  combs  are  at  hand  for  that 
purpose.  This  is  an  additional  reason  why  only  ONE  style  of 
hive  should  be  used  in  an  apiary — so  that  the  frames  may 
ALL  be  interchangeable.  In  ''dividing,"  too,  this  is  very 
essential. 

For  ordinary  sized  frames,  the  comb  basket  should  hold 
three  or  lour  frames  (tig.  62),  and  thus  save  much  labor  for 
the  operator.  Many  of  the  FLxtractors  arc  also  furnished 
with  an  attachment  for  holding  small  pieces  of  comb,  obtained 
while  transferring,  etc.  (tig.  65)  ;  this  is  hitched  on  to  the  top 
of  the  comb  basket  for  that  purpose,  and  may  be  instantly 
either  put  on  or  taken  oti. 


BEE    CULTURE.  95 


COMB  FOUiNDATM  AND  ITS  USE. 


The  Bee  Hive  is  an  emblem  of  industry,  and  the  perfection 
of  its  government  is  truly  marvelous  !  When  we  view  the 
skill  exhibited  in  the  building  of  the  beautiful  comb — so  true 
in  form,  so  wonderfully  systematic  in  construction,  and  all 
coiupleted  by  a  crowd  of  bees  in  a  dark  hive— and  often  at 
night,  without  the  light  of  the  sun,  moon  or  stars — we  are 
amazed  at  the  skill  of  these  wonderful  little  architects ! 
Think  of  their  wonderfully  -  delicate  cells  of  wax,  only 
180th  part  of  an  inch  in  thickness,   made   without  the  aid  of 


Fig.  G7.— Bases  and  Cross- Sections  of  Cells. 

rules,  angles  or  plumb  lines — and  yet  one  ounce  of  this  deli- 
cate work  will  contain  a  pound  of  honey,  of  sufficient  strength 
to  be  transported  thousands  of  miles  without  injury,  with  but 
ordinary  care.  Contemplate  the  perfection  of  these  cells. 
^»  A  noted  German  aptly  puts  it  thus  :     "  The  cells  of  bees 

are  found  to  fulfill  perfectly  the  most  subtle  conditions  of  an 
intricate  mathematical  problem.  Let  it  be  required  to  find 
what  shaj^e  a  given  quantity  of  matter  must  take  in  order  to 
have  the  greatest  capacity  and  strength,  occupying  at  the  same 
time  the  least  space,  and  consuming  the  least  labor  in  its  con- 
struction.    When  this  problem  is  solved  by  the  most  refined 


96 


BEE    CULTURE. 


mathematical  processes,  the  answer  is,  the  hexagonal^  or  six- 
sided  cell,  of  the  honey  bee,  with  its  three  four-sided  figures 
at  the  base." 

As  the  bases  exactly  fit  into  one  another  from  opposite 
sides,  and  the  insects  work  on  both  sides  at  the  same  time, 
in  what  language  did  they  communicate  the  proportions  to 
be  observed,  while  making  these  bases,  common  to  the  cells 
on  opposite  sides  ?     (Fig.  67.) 

These  interesting  workers  are  all  arranged  and  classed  so 
that  neither  discord  nor  confusion  may  interrupt  their  work. 


.^k 


w^^sn 


Fid.  68.— Honey  Comb. 


As  we  have  seen — the  conih  huihlcrs  construct  the  delicate 
comb.  The  honei/  gatherers  collect  the  sweet  juices  from 
the  flowers  and  deposit  them  in  the  cells.  Wdter  carriers 
employ  themselves  in  bringing  in  the  water  required  for  the 
support  of  the  young  brood.  The  jioJhu -gatherers  gather  the 
farina  from  the  blossoms,  and  carry  it  in  cavities,  formed  for 
the  purpose,  on  their  legs.  The  nursing  bees  feed  the  young 
bees  until  these  are  old  and  strong  enough  to  take  care  ot 
themselves  ;  and  iaithful  guards,  ever  mindful  of  the  peace 
and  harmony  of  the  colony,  carefully  watch  the  entrance  to 
the  hive — admitting  no  intruder,  neither  insect  nor  strange 


BEE    CULTURE, 


97 


bee.       It  is  amusing  to  notice  how  dexterously  they  pounce 
upon  anything  daring  even  to  approach  the  entrance. 

We  are  sometimes  asked  why  the  bees  do  not  build  comb 
when  they  have  nothing  else  to  do,  and  thus  save  valuable 
time,  the  enquirer  forgetting  that  comb-building  and  honey 
gathering  are  zealously  carried  on  simultaneously,  and  when 
the  honey  flow  ceases,  comb  building  is  also  given  up.  The 
latter  is  chiefly  done  at  night  or  during  unfavorable  weather. 

THE  INVENTION  OP  COMB  FOUNDATION. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  workers  consume  about  twenty 
pounds  of  honey,  to  construct  one  pound  of  comb.  This 
beino-  true,   one  pound  of  comb  is  equal  in  value  to  twenty 


Fig.  69.— Co)n6  Foundation. 

pounds  of  honey.  If,  therefore,  honey  is  worth  fifteen  cents 
per  pound,  comb  costs  three  dollars  per  pound,  when  produced 
by  the  bees.  From  this  we  may  learn  the  value  of  comb 
foundation  (fig.  69)  when  supplied  to  the  bees. 

This,  when  only  smooth  sheets  of  wax,  was  first  used  in 
Germany,  and  Mr.  W.  M.  Hoge,  in  1874,  assisted  Mr.  Fred- 
erick Weiss,  an  aged  German,  then  living  in  New  York  to 
introduce  it  to  American  bee-keepers.  In  1875  we  visited 
both  of  these  gentlemen  in  New  York,  and  obtained  some  of 
the  first  sheets  produced.  This  poor  old  German  has,  since 
then,  lived  in  Chicago,  and  often  visited  the  oflice  of  the 
Bee  Journal.  Being  poor,  old  and  crippled  with  rheuma- 
tism, he  sought  refuge  in  the  Cook  County  (Illinois)  Poor 
House,  and  there  died  some  years  ago. 

Comb  foundation  (fig.  69)  consists  of  sheets  of  beeswax, 
formed  by  dipping  wooden  plates  into  melted  wax,  and  upon 


98 


BEE   CULTURE, 


being  rolled  through  a  machine  (fig.  70),  have  indentations 
made  on  both  nides  that  form  the  foundation  of  cells,  which 
the  bees  readily  accept  and  work  out  into  comb. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  review  all  the  various  styles  of 
foundation  presented  to  bee-keepers  since  it  was  first  intro- 
duced in  America,  and  the  claims  of  the  many  machines  now 
upon  the  market  for  its  manufacture.  We  have  had  founda- 
tion with  triangular-shaped  cells,  with  flat-bottomed  cells, 
Avith  high  side-walls,  and  with  no  walls  at  all  ;  with  linen, 
cotton,  wood,  paper,  tin-foil  and  woven-wire  for  a  base  ;  while 
latterly,  we  have  had  foundation   with  fine  wires  imbedded 


Fig.  70.— Comb  Foimclation  Mill. 

therein,  and  frames  of  foundation  with  wires  pressed  therein. 
Experience  is  demonstrating,  however,  that  a  medium  heavy 
sheet — say,  four-and-a-half  to  five  feet  per' pound,  with  a 
thin  base  or  septum,  and  heavy  prominent  side-walls  or  lines, 
is  the  most  desirable  ibr  economy  in  the  use  of  wax,  and 
rapidity  in  comb-building  by  the  bees  ;  and  whether  it  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  name  of  Dunham,  Given,  Bourgmeycr  or 
Ferris — or  call'it  what  you  will — the  above  characteristics 
will  be  predominant  in  the  comb  foundation  hereafter  used 
by  all  progressive  apiarists, 


BEE    CULTURE. 


99 


Mauufactuiers  should  avoid  using  soap  and  all  other 
obnoxious  preparations  in  making  foundation  ;  many  pounds 
of  good  wax  have  been  condemned  as  adulterated,  because  of 
the  wash  used  on  the  rollers. 

Considering  the  start  given  to  a  colony  of  bees  by  judi- 
ciously using  comb  foundation,  the  certainty  of  having  the 
combs  all  built  straight,  the  ease  with  Avhicli  the  number  of 
drones  produced  by  a  colony  may  be  controlled,  let  no  one 
say  that  we  are  not  making  prodigious  strides  in  making  bee- 
keeping a  scientific  occupation. 

PRESERVE    THE    WAX. 

The  use  of  comb  foundation  bids  fair  to  use  all  the  avail- 
able wax  in  the  country  ;  ever}'  bit  of  wax  and  old  combs 
should  therefore   be   preserved.     A  wax   extractor  (fig.  71) 


Fig.  71.— Wax  Extractor. 

will  soon  pay  for  itself  By  its  use  all  the  old  comb  may  be 
saved,  utilized,  and  restored  to  the  bees  in  comb  foundation 
to  be  worked  out  into  beautiful  comb,  forming  either  the 
cradle  of  bees  or  the  receptacle  of  immaculately-pure  hoaey. 

COMB   FOUNDATION   NOT   ARTIFICI.\L. 

Newton,  seeing  a  falling  apple,  asked,  tvht/.^  Franklin, 
upon  witnessing  the  lightning's  flash,  asked,  whi/.^  Fulton, 
perceiving  the  force  contained  in  steam,  asked,  ivhy?  Thou- 
sands of  scientific  discoveries  have  resulted  from  some  one 
asking  icJiy?  When  we  hear  persons  call  Comb  Foundation 
''artificial,"  we  naturally  ask,  ivhy  '    x\rtificial  is  "  ^tnnatural," 


100 


BEE    CULTURE. 


"fraudulent,"  an  "imitation!"  What  is  there  w»natural 
about  Comb  Foundation  ?  Is  the  wax  «?inatural  ?  Does 
melting,  and  dipping  a  board  in  it,  make  it  a  fraud  ? 
Does  peeling  off  the  cooling  sheet  of  wax  from  the  board 
make  it  an  "imitation  ?"  Or  running  it  between  rollers,  or 
pressing  configurations  into  it,  make  it  unnatural  ?  If  so, 
why  do  the  bees  take  to  it  so  naturally,  instantly  seizing  it, 
building  it  out  into  beautiful  cells,  in  which  to  raise  their 
brood  or  store  their  honey  ?  Is  not  everything  genuine, 
natural  and  real  ?  Then  irliy,  in  the  name  of  common  sense, 
should  it  be  called  "  artificial  ?"  We  much  prefer  the  real, 
the  natural,  the  genuine,  be  it  ever  so  plain,  to  the  gilded 
fraud,  or  the  elegant  imitation  !  Let  all  ask,  whyf  An 
honest  doubt  often  leads  to  greater  truth  ! 

FASTENING    FOUNDATION   TO   THE    FRAMES. 

We  use  Langstroth  frames  with  a  V-shaped  top-bar ;  the 
foundation  is  just  as  wide  as  the  inside  of  the  frame  from  the 
bottom-bar  to  the  lower  point  of  the  top-bar,  and  is  one-inch 


Fig.  72.— Foundation  Fastened  to  Top-Bar. 

shorter  than  the  frame  from  end  to  end.  When  ready  to  use 
a  set  of  frames,  the  foundation  is  placed  on  clean  paper, 
evenly  piled,  with  the  straightest  edge  next  to  the  operator  ; 
now  with  a  sharp  knife,  make  four  incisions  or  cuts  half  an 
inch  long  down  through  tlie  foundation  to  the  paper,  and  at 
equal  distances  from  each  other  and  at  the  ends;  with  the 
hands  placed  at  each  end  of  the  pile,  turn  up  the  two  end- 
cuts  with  the  thumbs,  and  proceed  to  the  center,  which  is 
also  turned  up  ;  now  lift  the  sheet  clear  from  the  pile  and 
turn  the  two  remaining  cuts  or  flaps  in  the  opposite  direction  ; 


BteE  CULTURE. 


101 


lay  the  sheet  down  with  the  top  edge  nearest  you,  place  the 
frame  with  the  lower  or  sharp  edge  fitting  closely  to  the 
joints,  formed  by  alternately  bending  up  and  down  the  flaps, 
and  press  the  foundation  to  the  top-bar  with  the  thumbs, 
drawing  to  you.  When  warm  and  the  was  quite  pliable,  the 
work    is  very    speedily   and  efiectively  performed — scarcely 


Fig.  ~3.—]\fadiine  for  Fastening  Foundation 

requiring  more  than  ten  minutes  for  a  full  set  of  frames. 
The  foundation  will  reach  within  half  an  inch  of  each  end-bar 
and  the  bottom-bar.  and  give  ample  room  for  the  bees  to  pass 
from  side  to  side.  Of  course,  a  greater  number  of  cuts  will 
do  no  harm,  except  to  take  up  more  room.  With  good  foun- 
dation we  have   never  had  any  breaking  down,  warping,  nor 


Fig.  1\.—Goodrkh'^s  Foundation  Fastener. 

sagging  to  any  appreciable  extent.  Fig.  72  gives  a  compre- 
hensive idea  of  the  appearance  of  a  sheet  of  foundation  ready 
for  the  hive. 

Many  bee-keepers  use  a  top-bar  with  a  tongue  or  in-set 
projecting  below  its  surface,  to  which  they  ftisten  the  foun- 
dation by  pressing  with  a  putty-knife.  Others  lay  the  edge 
of  the  foundation  along  the  tongue,  and  fasten  by  tacking  a 
thin  strip  of  wood  over  it.     Melted  beeswax  and  rosin  is  used 


i02  BEE   CULTURE. 

a  great  deal,  with  which  the  foundation  is  sealed  to  the  top- 
bar.  Split  top-bars  are  used  by  many,  and  possess  some 
advantages  over  most  other  kinds.  These,  however,  necessi- 
tate considerable  labor,  as  the  nailing  down  of  the  top-bars 
cannot  be  completed  till  after  the  foundation  is  inserted. 

Mr.  S.  Goodrich  has  invented  a  machine  for  fastening  full 
sheets  of  foundation  to  the  top  and  sides  of  frames  having 
flat  top-bars  (fig.  74). 

Starters  two  or  three  inches  long  will  not  always  insure 
straight  combs,  but,  of  cour.^e,  are  much  better  than  empty 
frames  ;  full  sheets  are  much  more  satisfactory-. 

In  hiving  swarms,  if  very  strong,  we  would  throw  them  on 
full  sheets  and  a  full  complement,  to  prevent  concentrating 


Fig.  I'j.—drowed  Board  for  Cutting  Starters. 

too  much  weight  on  a  few  ;  but  if  building  up,  then  give  full 
sheets,  in  the  center  of  the  brood  nest,  only  as  fast  as  they 
can  use  them. 

For  cutting  it  into  strips  of  uniform  size,  for  starters  in 
sections,  a  grooved  board  (fig.  75)  may  be  used  ;  the  distance 
between  the  grooves  corresponding  to  the  width  of  the  strips 
desired  to  be  cut.  Several  kinds  are  now  made  so  thin  that 
it  can  be  used  to  advantage  in  surplus  honey.  If  natural 
comb  be  used  in  surplus,  IT  MUST  be  new  and  nice.  Any 
other  is  but  a  damage  to  its  sale  as  well  as  to  its  flavor. 

Bees  bred  in  new  comb  are  generally  much  larger  than 
those  reared  in  old.  The  cells  in  the  old  comb  become 
smaller  every  year,  as  every  bee  that  is  hatched  in  them 
leaves  its  silky  cocoon  adhering  to  the  walls  of  the  cell,  thus 
diminishing  its  size,  and,  consequently,  the  size  of  the  bee. 


BEE    CULTURE. 


103 


BEE  PASTURAGE  A  NECESSITY. 


As  civilization,  with  its  improved  and  perfected  machinery, 
clears  away  the  forest  trees  and  upturns  the  prairie  sods,  it 
is  year  by  year  lessening  the  productive  honey  field  for  the 
bees,  and  gives  rise  to  the  frequent  remark  that  bees  in  cer- 


Fig.  76. — Honey  Locust  Tree. 

tain  localities  do  not  prove  so  profitable  as  in  years  gone  by. 
lit  many  instances  the  honey  yield  is  not  so  heavy,  and  the 
loss  in  wintering  about  consumes  the  profits  ;  especially  is 
the  latter  the  case  where  bee-keepers  have  kept  apace  with 


104 


BEE   CULTURE. 


the  improved  appliances  for  depriving  their  bees  of  the  fruits 
of  their  labor  during  summer,  as  fast  as  gathered,  but  have 
been  too  shiftless  to  provide  certain  and  wholesome  nectar- 
yielding  bloom  with  which  to  replace  the  earlier  stores  taken 
away.  In  view  of  the  uncertainty  of  nature  providing  suffi- 
cient continuous  bloom,  and  the  certainty  of  annually  recur- 
ring periods  of  cold  weather,  and  long,  hazardous  confinement, 
the  bee-keeper,  to  insure  success,  should  as  conscientiously 
provide  pasture  from  which  his  bees  can  gather  food,  as  to 


Fig.  n.—Bassioood  or  Linden  Leaf  and  Blossoms. 

provide  hives  with  which  to  shelter  them  from  the  storms. 
With  a  liberal  allowance  of  good,  wholesome  honey  in  the 
fall,  the  first  requirement  for  successful  wintering  will  be 
provided.  We  cannot  understand  how  any  one  can  mistake 
his  duty  to  provide  pasturage,  if  profits  are  expected  ;  nor 
how  a  humane,  generous-hearted  bee-keeper,  can  increase  his 
numbers  of  bees  without  making  some  provision  against 
starving. 

TREES    FOR    SHADE    AND    HONEY. 

Every  hotiie  can  be  beautified  by  a  judicious  selection  of 
ornamental  shade  trees,  and   where  the  roads,   streets  and 


BEE   CULTURE. 


105 


lanes  are  nicely  bordered   with  them,   the  market  value  of 

the  property  will   be  increased  more  than  double  the  cost  of 

,the  trees  and  labor  necessary.     For  this  purpose  the  basswood 

or  linden  {TiUa  Americana)  is  one   of  the   most   desirable. 


Fig.  is.— Tulip  or  Poplar  Leaf  and  Blossom. 

Its  rank,  thrifty  growth,  large,  glossy-green  leaves,  beauti- 
fully perfumed  flowers,  adaptability  to  almost  any  soil  and 
climate,  and  ease  with  which  it  can  be  cultivated,  make  it 
one  of  the  most  desirable  for  lawn  or  lane.     It  is  easily  prop- 


106  BEE    CULTURE. 

agated  from  the  seed  or  cuttings,  and  can  be  transplanted 
with  certainty,  and  may  be  obtained  witli  little  trouble.  It 
blooms  in  early  July,  and  yields  a  white,  aromatic  honey,  of 
superior  quality. 

The  tulip  tree  {Liriodendron  tidipiferd),  often  called  pop- 
lar, is  also  of  rapid  growth,  hardy,  and  easily  cultivated. 
This  makes  a  beautiful  shade,  and  yields  an  abundance  of 
delicious  honey.  As  a  producer  it  ranks  only  second  to  the 
linden,  but  being  a  very  soft  and  brittle  wood,  is  not  so 
desirable  for  shade. 

Box-elder  (N'cgimdmm  Americannm)  or  ash-leaved  maple, 
is  very  desirable  for  a  shade,  and  being  a  hard  wood,  is  quite 
valuable  for  its  timber.  Like  the  linden  and  tulip,  it  is  a 
great  favorite  with  bees,  and  yields  a  superior  honey. 
Blooming  between  the  two,  and  forming  a  beautiful  contrast 
in  foliage,  it  might  be  alternated  with  the  others  with  nice 
effect. 

There  are  two  or  three  varieties  of  willows,  all  good  honey- 
producers,  which  are  great  favorites  as  shades,  and  are 
adapted  to  all  sections  of  our  country.  The  little  care 
required  to  propagate  them,  is  a  recommendation  in  their 
favor. 

The  Eucalyptus  or  blue  gum,  will  undoubtedly  become  as 
great  a  favorite  in  our  Southern  States  as  it  is  in  California, 
and  is  said  to  be  a  superior  and  beautiful  honey-producer. 

The  black  locusts  should  not  be  overlooked  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  our  selection  of  shade  trees.  They  are  almost  cer- 
tain honey-producers.  Although  the  duration  of  bloom  is 
but  limited,  they  yield  a  bountiful  supply  of  rich  nectar,  and 
bees  will  literally  swarm  among  the  highly-perfumed  blos- 
soms. Hon.  G.  W.  Demaree,  of  Kentucky,  writes  as  follows 
regarding  the  locust :  "  The  time  of  year  in  which  it  blooms 
nearly  filling  the  interval  between  the  late  fruit  bloom  and 
the  white  clover,  makes  it  an  exceedingly  valuable  auxiliary 
to  the  honey  harvest  in  the  middle  states,  if  not  elsewhere. 
It  is  a  most  profuse  honey  bearer,  rivaling  the  famous  linden 
in  quality,  and  only  inferior  to  the  product  of  the  latter  in 
color.  Locust  honey  cannot  be  said  to  be  dark  in  color.  It 
is  of  a  rich  pale-red  color,  when  in  a  liquid  state  ;  but  when 
in  the  shape  of  comb  honey,  its  appearance,  if  removed  from 


BEE    CULTURE. 


107 


the  hive  when  first  finished,  is  but  little  inferior  to  our  supe- 
rior clover  honey.  It  becomes  exceedingly  thick,  if  left  with 
the  bees  till  the  cells  are  thoroughly  sealed,  and  its  keeping 
qualities  are  therefore  most  excellent.  The  trees  are  planted 
by  the  side  of  fences,  in  waste  places,  and  on  poor,  worn-out 
lands.  They  may  be  propagated  from  the  seeds,  or  by  trans- 
planting the  young  trees  from  one  to  three  years  old.  If  the 
ground  is  plowed  in  the  spring,  and  the  locust  seeds  planted 
on  the  hills  with  corn,  or  with  other  hill-crops,  and  cultivated 
the  first  year,  the  young  trees  will  grow  with  great  rapidity, 


Pig.  79. — Limb,  Pod  and  Seed  of  Honey  Locust. 

even  on  very  poor  lands.  In  this  way  beautiful  groves  can 
be  started,  making  the  land,  in  process  of  time,  very  valua- 
ble, in  locations  where  timber  is  an  object,  besides  giving  a 
perfect  sea  of  bloom,  ladened  with  precious  nectar." 

Fruit  trees  of  all  kinds  are  eagerly  visited  by  the  bees,  and 
yield  plentifully  of  pollen  as  well  as  honey.  They  are  entitled, 
also,  to  consideration  for  the  value  of  their  fruit  productions 
as  well  as  honey. 

Above  we  have  named  the  more  common  and  most  desira- 
ble of  the  honey-producing  trees.  There  are  many  others 
which  could  be  planted  with  profit,  but  the  list  gives  the 
names  of  those   which  can  be  grown  almo.st  anywhere,  and 


108 


BEE    CULTURE. 


combine  ornament  with    utility.     All    are  worth  the  little 
trouble  they  cause. 

PLANTS    FOR   FIELD    AND    ROADSIDE. 

Where  the  apiarist  is  so  situated  that  a  few  acres  of  land 
can  be  devoted  to  bee  pasturage,  we  would  advise  that  such 
selections  be  made  with  a  view  to  answering  the  double  pur- 
pose of  producing  honey,  and  grain  or  winter  forage  for  stock. 
Although  convinced  that  a  handsome  profit  can  be  realized 
from  land  devoted  to  honey-producing  alone,  yet  all  will 
admit  that  if  a  remunerative  profit  can  be  obtained  from  its 


Fig. 


Siveet  Clover  Branch  and  Bloom. 


cultivation  for  honey,  and  any  other  return  be  derived  from 
the  crop,  it  is  an  additional  net  pi'ofit,  less  the  cost  of  har- 
vesting and  marketing. 

There  are,  however,  many  bee-keepers  whose  grounds  are 
very  limited,  but  in  whose  immediate  vicinity  are  lanes  and 
alleys  but  little  used,  or  waste  commons  and  worn-out  fields, 
which,  with  little  labor  and  less  expense,  could  be  made  to 
give  profitable  employment  to  an  apiary  of  one-hundred  to 
two-hundred  colonies,  thus  becoming  spots  of  beauty  and 
sources  of  revenue,  instead  of  remaining  evidences  of  sloth 
and  a  public  reproach. 


BEE    CULTURE.  109 

For  field  or  commons  our  first  preference  is  decidedl3i 
given  to  sweet  clover  or  melilot  {Melilotus  alba).  Being  one 
of  the  hardiest  plants  we  have,  it  will  withstand  any  degree 
of  winter's  cold  or  summer's  heat,  and  its  deep-penetrating 
and  wide-spreading  roots,  admii-ably  adapt  it  to  any  variety 
of  soil,  vvhether  wet  or  dry,  sand  or  clay,  loam  or  gravel. 
Being  remarkably  thrifty  in  growth,  it  will  be  found  equal  to 
red  clover  for  soiling,  and  can  be  successfully  grown  in  loca- 
tions where  the  latter  will  prove  a  failure.  Prof.  C.  E. 
Thorne,  of  the  Ohio  State  University,  thus  testifies  regarding 
its  value  as  a  field  plant.  '•  It  will  grow  quite  luxuriantly 
in  hard,  poor  clay,  where  even  white  clover  will  scarcely  live 
at  all,  and  grows  much  more  rapidly  than  red  clover  in  any 
soil,  while  in  the  soils  that  are,  as  is  said,  '  Clover-sick,'  it 
thrives  as  well  as  anywhere.  It  is  a  good  forage  plant  for 
bees  and  for  cattle,  and  is  well  adapted  for  soiling,  as  it 
makes  a  growth  of  four  to  six  feet  during  the  season,  and  is 
said  to  bear  two  or  three  cuttings.  A  German  analysis 
gives  its  hay  a  feeding  value  of  fifteen  dollars  per  ton  as 
against  sixteen  dollars  and  twenty-eight  cents  for  very  good 
red  clover  hay.  While  red  clover,  upon  which  our  fiirming 
in  many  sections,  and  especially  in  clay  lands,  depends  so 
essentially  for  crops  of  grain,  is  becoming  more  and  more 
uncertain.  It  would  seem  to  be  worth  while  to  try  this  '  fast 
weed '  as  a  resource  for  recuperative  green  manuring,  in 
heavy  soils  especially." 

But  its  greatest  recommendation  for  the  general  bee-keeper 
is  the  fact  that  it  requires  no  especial  cultivation,  thus 
making  it  particularly  desirable  for  roadsides  and  commons. 
Being  a  biennial,  the  seeds  possess  great  vitality,  and  may 
be  kept  over  for  a  long  time,  and  scattered  a  handful  at  a 
time,  as  opportunity  offers,  or  a  bare  place  develops  itself. 
Where  possible  to  devote  even  a  limited  time  to  its  cultiva- 
tion, the  ground  may  be  plowed  and  the  seed  lightly  harrowed 
under  in  the  fall  with  winter  wheat,  or  planted  with  barley  ; 
or  in  early  spring  it  can  be  sown  with  wheat,  oats  or  rye, 
without  detriment  to  the  grain.  If  wanted,  however,  in  its 
greatest  perfection,  it  should  be  planted  in  drills  four  feet 
apart,  and  once  hilled  up  with  the  cultivator.  Sweet  clover 
blooms  and  yields  nectar  continuously  in  this  latitude  from 


110  BEE    CITLTtlRE. 

about  June  10th  till  Aug.  1st,  when  the  first  seed  crop  ma- 
tures, which  is  succeeded  with  a  new  foliage  and  profuse 
second  bloom  about  Aug.  15th,  and  this  continues  till  winter 
sets  in.  If  a  part  of  the  field  be  mown  about  July  1st,  it 
will  bloom  and  yield  nectar,  except  when  rains  are  f:\lling  or 
during  the  prevalence  of  strong,  adverse  winds,  from  the 
middle  of  June  till  past  the  middle  of  October — certainly  as 
long  a  period  as  our  impatiejit  little  workers  can  utilize  it ; 
nor  will  it  then  cease  to  "waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert 
air,"  but  after  the  advent  of  winter,  when  all  else  has  passed 
into  "  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf,"  its  modest  flowers  will  waft 
a  fragrant  gcod-bye  to  the  bees  when  on  their  last  flight,  and 
leave  pleasant  memories  for  their  long  winter  dreams. 

H.  S.  Hackman,  of  Illinois,  commenced  the  season  of  1881 
with  ten  colonies,  which  he  increased  to  seventy,  and  obtained 
1,200  pounds  of  surplus  honey — 1,000  pounds  of  extracted 
and  200  of  comb  honey — equal  to  120  pounds  per  colony, 
spring  count,  and  an  increase  to  over  seven  colonies  from 
one  !  Mr.  Hackman,  who  is  an  experienced  bee-keeper,  and 
whose  veracity  is  unquestionable,  in  a  letter  dated  Nov.  15, 
1881,  writes  :  "  Please  find  inclosed  flowers  of  the  sweet 
clover,  picked  from  the  roadside,  on  the  prairie,  yesterday, 
14th  inst.  I  suppose  I  owe  my  wonderful  summer  success 
largely  to  the  sweet  clover.  We  had  the  hottest  and  driest 
season  we  ever  had — no  rain  from  June  15th  until  Sept.  15tb. 
The  hotter  and  drier  the  more  honey,  seemingly.  Sweet  clo- 
ver, as  a  weed  !  Although  it  has  been  growing  in  our  roads, 
on  waste  land,  along  railroads,  and  on  our  hill-sides  for 
twenty-five  years,  it  does  not  seem  to  get  into  the  fields, 
except  where  water  has  cari'ied  the  seeds  into  low  places." 

W.  T.  Stewart,  of  Kentucky,  says  :  "  Melilot  is  best  sown 
in  the  fall,  but  will  grow  any  time  or  anywhere,  except  on  a 
flat  rock." 

To  sum  up,  it  is  worth  more  to  the  farmer  for  soiling  than 
red  clover,  because  of  its  thrifty  growth  ;  it  is  a  more  relia- 
ble pasture  for  cattle,  sheep,  etc.,  than  red  clover,  because  it 
will  thrive  on  soils  where  red  clover  sickens  ;  it  will  yield 
much  more  fodder  than  red  clover,  because  it  will  stand  two 
or  three  cuttings  ;  and  it  lacks  but  seven  per  cent,   of  the 


BEE    CULTURE. 


Ill 


nutritious  properties  of  red  clover.  We  can  add,  we  believe 
it  is  worth  the  cost  of  cultivation  to  the  bee-keeper,  for 
honey  alone,  even  though  he  is  not  the  possessor  of  a  four- 
footed  animal,  because  its  flow  of  nectar  is  not  affected  by 
atmospheric  changes,  as  is  the  case  with  many  plants,  nota- 
bly white  clover  and  linden,  and  its  honey  is  second  to  none. 
Alsike  or  Swedish  clover  {^TrifoUum  hyhnduni)  is  also  a 
good  grazing  and  honey  plant,  and  sown  in  connection  with 


Fig.  ^\.— Alsike  Glover. 

dairying  pursuits  or  stock-raising,  will  prove  doubly  valuable. 
]Mr.  M.  M.  Baldridge,  who  has  devoted  much  careful  study 
to  this  clover,  says  :  "  The  stem  and  branches  are  finer  and 
less  woody  than  the  common  red,  and  when  cut  and  cured 
for  hay,  it  is  perfectly  free  from  fuzz  and  dust.  It  does  not 
turn  black,  but  remains  the  color  of  well-cured  timothy. 
The  bees  have  no  trouble  in  finding  the  honey,  as  the  blos- 
soms are  short,  and  the  heads  no  larger  than  white  clov-er. 


112 


BEE    CULTURE. 


The  blossoms  at  first  are  white,  but  soon  change  to  a  beauti- 
i"ul  pink,  and  omit  considerable  fragrance.  It  ripens  in  the 
latitude  of  Cliicago  in  the  latter  part  of  July,  but  need  not 
be  cut  till  August,  if  the  weather  be  unfavorable.  The  crop 
of  seed  is  always  obtained  from  this  cutting,  in  which  respect 
it  is  unlike  the  common  red.     It  is  not  advisable  to  cut  this 


Fig.  f*2.—Alsike  Clover  Boot  and  Crorvn 
average  size,  one  year  old. 


Fig.  H3.—Red  Clover  Root 
and  Croivn,  one  year  old. 


clover  more  than  once  each  .'cason,  but  it  may  be  pastured 
moderately  during  the  fall.  When  sowed  by  itself,  four 
pounds  of  seed  is  sufficient  for  an  acre  ;  but  this  is  not  the 
best  plan  to  pursue,  especially  on  dry  western  prairie  land. 
It  is  much  the  best  to  mix  it  with  timothy  or  common  red 
clover,  or  both.     When  thus  mixed  they  are  a  help  to   each 


BEE    CULTURE. 


113 


Other,  and  two  pounds  of  alsike  seed  to  the  acre  are  suffi- 
cient. Alsike  clover  as  a  fertilizer,  must  be  as  good  a  plant 
as  red  clover,  as  the  roots  penetrate  much  deeper  and  are 
more  numerous.  It  is  a  clover  which  every  farmer  can  and 
should  cultivate,  whether  he  keeps  bees  or  not,  as  it  is  supe- 
rior to  the  common  red  for  hay  or  pasture  for  all  kinds  of 
stock."  The  seed  can  now  be  had  at  a  very  moderate  price, 
and  it  is  certainly  worthy  of  a  trial. 

White  or  Dutch  clover  (Tri/olium  repens)  is  too  well 
known  to  require  particular  description,  and  is  associated 
with   too  many  pleasant  recollections  to  call  for  commenda- 


FiG.  84. —  While  or  Dutch  Clover. 

tion.  Its  modest,  unassuming  bLom.  has  hallowed  many  a 
sacred  spot,  and  perpetuated  enduring  virtues  long  after  the 
earthly  form  has  moldered  to  dust  beneath.  The  lawn 
would,  indeed,  seem  incomplete,  if  still  was  wanting  the  clo- 
ver carpet  with  its  velvet  surface  of  mingling  white  and 
green,  inviting  the  weary  to  partake  of  rest,  and  giving  out 
its  ambrosial  perfume  while  the  grateful  bees  in  myriads 
sing  from  flower  to  flower.  For  its  modest,  cheerful  appear- 
ance, white  clover  will  always  be  a  welcome  tenant  of  waste 
corners,  nooks  and  roadsides,  and  no  farmer  needs  be  told  of 
its  value  for  pasturage.     Its  honey  is  only  excelled  by  that 


114  BEE    CULTURE. 

from  sweet  clover.     Sow  the  seed  in  the  fall,  or  in  winter  on 
the  snow,  or  harrow  in  with  the  spring  rains. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  the  mustard  (Sinapis)  which 
furnish  honey.  These  have  been  extensively  cultivated  for 
the  seeds  alone,  and  always  have  a  commercial  value.  The 
length  of  season  for  bloom  is  quite  extended,  and  where  a 
dearth  of  honey  pasturage  prevails,  bees  will  work  on  them 
vigorously.     They  bloom  during  July  and  August. 

Buckwheat  {Fagopyrum  esculentum)  is  familiar  to  every 
northern  bee-keeper.     Its  value  cannot  be  too  highly  estima- 


FiG.  Sd.—Buckicheat  in  Bloom. 

ted.  Its  "•rain  always  commands  ready  sale  in  market,  and 
the  honey,  though  dark  and  strong,  is  highly  prized  for  man- 
ufacturing and  other  purposes.  It  furnishes  an  excellent 
winter  food  for  the  bees,  and  when  well  ripened  will  enable 
the  producer  to  avail  himself  of  all  the  white  grades  of  honey 
stored  earlier  in  the  season.  In  early  morning  the  bees  work 
on  the  buckwheat  with  great  enthusiasm,  and  gather  honey 
from  it  rapidly  ;  but  during  the  middle  and  latter  part  of  the 
day  they  entirely  neglect  it,  unless  the  weather  be  quite 
gloudy  and  humid.     In  the  Southern  States,  we  have  been 


BEE    CULTURE.  115 

told,  buckwheat  is  worthless  as  a  honey-producer,  and,  in  fact, 
the  same  is  true  of  many  localities  in  the  Middle  and  North- 
ern States  ;  but  where  it  does  produce  honey  abundantly,  it  is 
well  worth  cultivation. 

There  are  many  other  plants  which  will  undoubtedly  well 
repay  cultivation  for  field  purposes  alone,  and  yield  a  profit- 
able bonus  through  the  labors  of  the  bees.  This  of  course 
will  depend  upon  circumstances  surrounding  the  apiarist. 
In  the  list  can  be  placed  many  kinds  of  fruits,  plants,  grains 
and  grasses,  and  much  will  depend  upon  the  judgment  and 
observation  of  the  bee-keeper. 

PLANTS  FOR  HONEY  EXCLUSIVELY. 

The  catalogue  of  honey-producing  plants  is  almost  without 
end.  Scarcely  one  but  is  some  assistance,  either  in  furnish- 
ing honey  or  pollen  ;  but  observation  and  judgment  will  be 
required  to  determine  the  best. 

If  for  the  roadside,  hillside  or  commons,  where  cattle, 
sheep  and  hogs  run  at  large,  the  Rocky  Mountain  bee  plant 
(Cleome  integrlfijlia)  is  probably  one  of  the  best,  owing  to  its 
immunity  from  grazing  animals.  T.  J.  Dodds,  of  Iowa,  says 
of  it :  "Its  habitat  is  clay,  gravel,  rock  and  limestone. 
Our  river  bluflFs  are  carbonate  and  magnesian  limestone,  our 
streets  and  gutters  are  macadamized  and  paved  with  this 
stone,  and  in  this  the  bee  plant  finds  its  most  attractive 
home.  Hundreds  of  plants  can  be  found  in  sight  by  the 
writer  of  this,  that  will  measure  five  feet  in  circumference 
and  five  feet  in  height.  Through  curiosity  I  went  across  the 
street  and  counted  the  pods  on  one  stalk  alone,  out  of  hun- 
dreds of  the  same  kind  all  around.  They  numbered  272  ;  the 
space  occupied  was  5  ft.  10  inches,  lieight  5  ft.  8  inches; 
circumference  of  stalk,  1^  inches.  No  rain  here  for  nearly 
three  months,  yet  they  are  green,  luxuriant  and  beautiful. 
No  animal  will  touch  them,  and  they  outgrow  everything  they 
come  in  contact  with,  thus  proving  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 
Sow  the  seed  anywhere — among  rocks,  on  craggy  hillsides, 
along  the  highways,  in  fence  corners  where  nothing  useful 
will  grow,  and  where  the  winds  and  rains  will  spread  them, 
and  in  a  few  years  your  waste  places  will  prove  attractive  to 
the  eye,  and  yield  abundance  of  sweets  for  the  table."     Seed 


116 


BEE    CULTURE. 


should   be  sown  in  the  fall,  when  the  plants  will  bloom  the 
next  season. 

Spider  plant  ((7/co»iep««^e??s)  has  been  attracting  much 
attention  as  a  honey  plant  among  progressive  bee-keepers. 
It  is  a  beautiful  and  interesting  plant,  and  produces  an 
abundance  of  fine  honey,  but  we  fear  its  popularity  as  a  reli- 
able honey  plant  will  never  become  established.  The  care 
required  in  its  cultivation,  and  the  lateness  before  coming 
into  bloom,  will  militate  against  it,  so  long  as  there  are  plenty 


Fig.  SQ.—Cleonie  in  Bloom. 

equally  as  good  which  will  be  only  too  grateful  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  occupy  the  soil  unmolested,  and  pay  their  sweet 
tribute.  Spider  plant  should  be  sprouted  in  hot-beds  and 
transplanted. 

After  several  years  of  careful,  close  observation,  we  are 
more  than  confirmed  in  the  good  opinion  we  have  heretofore 
formed  and  expressed  regarding  the  excellence  of  mammoth 


BEE    CULTURE. 


11? 


mignonette  {Reseda  (/ranch' flora)  as  a  honey  plant.  It  is  a 
plant  of  vigorous,  rapid  growth ;  having  a  strong,  deep-pene- 
trating tap-root,  it  is  very  tenacious  in  its  hold  upon  the  soil, 
and  will  grow,  and  bloom,  and  yield  a  rich  return  of  beautiful 
nectar  under  the  most  adverse  circumstances  ;  with  a  sharp, 
pungent  taste,  not  unlike  horse-radish,  the  foliage  is  not  a 
favorite  resort  for  spiders  or  insects.  Before  white  clover 
has  fairly  passed  its   maximum  of  excellence,  the  graceful 


Fig.  87. — Mammoth  Mignonette. 

and  modest  blossoms  of  the  mignonette  will  have  won  the 
preference  of  the  discriminating  bees.  The  flowers  are 
thickly  studded  on  the  points  of  curving  racemes,  and  as  the 
base  matures  its  many  pods  well  filled  with  diminutive  black 
seeds,  the  point  is  daily  presenting  a  succession  of  fresh 
bloom,  which  continues  until  winter  has  fairly  set  in,  thus 
providing  each  fair  day  a  nectar  flow,  despite  the  drenching 


118 


BEE    CULTURE. 


rains  wliicli  may  precede.  Tt  is  not  unusual  to  see  racemes 
tliroc  feet  or  more  in  length.  The  roots,  in  taste,  are  a 
counterpart  of  horse-radisli.  The  foliage  is  not  at  all  similar 
to  Reseda  odorata,  and  is  said  to  be  an  excellent  table  salad. 
We  hope  every  bee-keeper  will  give  it  a  fair  trial.  Plant 
early  in  the  spring,  in  drills  three  feet  apart,  or  in  a  hot-bed, 
and  transplant;  but  the  latter  method  is  unnecessary,  as  it 
is  perfectly  hardy  and  will  blossom  quite  soon  enough,  with 
but  little  care.  Do  not  plant  too  thick.  It  blossoms  the 
first  season. 


Fig. 


Motherwort. 


Motherwort  cannot  be  too  highly  spoken  of  for  a  honey 
plant,  and  in  the  order  of  progress  is  destined  to  become  very 
popular.  Its  blossoms  make  their  appearance  in  July,  and 
it  remains  constantly  in  bloom  till  frost,  and  its  green  leaves 
are  among  the  first  visible  foliage  in  spring.  The  stalks  are 
quite  large  and  vigorous,  and  once  well  rooted,  it  blooms  and 
thrives  under  very  adverse  circumstances.     Like  catnip,  it  is 


BEE    CULTURE.  119 

not  a  great  favorite  with  grazing  animals,  and  may  be  planted 
on  the  roadsides  and  commons  wliere  stock  are  allowed  to 
run  at  large.  Four  pounds  of  seed  per  acre  are  an  abund- 
ance, and  it  may  be  sown  at  any  time,  after  which  it  needs 
no  further  attention,  and  will  replant  itself  It  thrives  well 
among  the  timber,  or  in  open  places. 

Simpson  honey-plant  (^Figwort)  is  quite  desirable,  but  of 
slow  growth.  The  best  method  of  cultivating  is  by  sprout- 
ing in  hot-beds  and  transplanting.  The  growth  is  slow,  but 
once  well  rooted,  it  may  be  perpetuated  for  years,  and  fur- 
nishes honey  quite  plentifully.  The  plants  attain  considera- 
ble dimensions.  The  flower  is  quite  small  and  unassuming, 
but  the  stalk  grows  tall  and  is  very  graceful  in  appearance. 

Catnip  (^Ncpcta  catarUi)  can  be  planted  any  time  and  any 
where.  It  makes  a  vigorous  growth,  and  possesses  much 
vitality.  Bees  work  on  it  early  and  late,  and  the  honey  is 
excellent.  Four  pounds  of  seed  per  acre.  It  may  be  sown 
any  time. 

We  doubt  not  there  are  many  plants  accessible  to  all  bee- 
keepers, and  each  adapted  more  especially  to  particular  or 
peculiar  localities,  quite  as  good  as  any  we  have  named. 
But  we  have  already  enumerated  sufficient  from  which  a  very 
desirable  selection  can  be  made  for  any  locality,  and  all  of 
which  will  prove  very  profitable.  By  all  means  give  each  a 
trial,  and  select  the  best  for  all  purposes,  after  which  give 
those  the  preference.  As  f;lrmer^s  are  constantly  testing  the 
best  grains  suited  to  their  particular  wants,  or  the  best  for- 
age for  their  especial  grades  of  stock,  so  should  bee-keepers 
be  equally  generous  to  their  bees,  and  considerate  of  them- 
selves and  their  best  interests  to  give  at  least  a  liberal 
thought  to  the  subject, 

HONEY  PLANTS  FOR  DECORATIVE  PURPOSES. 

Unless  actually  seen,  no  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  beauti- 
ful and  pleasing  effect  Avhich  can  be  produced  by  honey 
plants,  when  artistically  and  tastefully  arranged.  Even  the 
most  common  of  our  wild  plants,  with  a  little  thotight  and 
trouble,  can  be  made  to  transform  a  very  homely  lawn  into  a 
seeming  pai-adise,  and  the  addition  of  a  column  here,  with  its 
niches  supplied  with  variegated  wild  flowers,  and  a  trellis 


120 


BKE    CULTURE. 


there,  covered  with  blooming  vines  attractive  to  the  bees,  and 
now  and  then  a  flowery  diamond,  or  a  heart  or  circle,  will 
lend  an  enchantment  to  the  lawn,  rivaling  the  more  expensive 
exotic  di.sphiNS  whose  main  features  are  the  lavish  expendi- 
ture of  mone3^  and  which  delight  the  eye  only  when  first 
beheld,  then  become  monotonous  because  planned  alone  to 
please  the  eye. 

In  arranging  the  garden  or  lawn,  especial  reference  should 
always  be  studied  to  present  the  greatest  contrast  in  colors, 


Fig.  S^.—Cohaun  for  Drive-ioay  or  Lawn. 

and  yet  have  them  blend  in  a  harmonious  whole,  s(-  chat,  let 
the  eye  turn  which  way  it  will,  something  new  ana  pleasing 
will  be  seen,  but  nothing  abrupt  should  be  presented  to 
startle  or  tire. 

Mr.  ^\.  C.  Barry,  in  an  essay  read  before   the    American 
Association    of    Nurserymen,    in     1881,     truthfully    says: 


BTEE   PFLTURE.  l2l 

*'  Gardens  are  to  be  seen  which  have  been  planned  and 
planted  utterly  regardless  of  all  rules  of  landscape  gardening. 
Those  who  have  a  knowledge  of  the  art  cannot  refrain  from 
noticing  the  blunders  that  are  made,  and  it  is  particularly 
annoying  to  them  to  see  fine  grounds,  which  might  have  been 
rendered  exceedingly  interesting,  utterly  ruined  by  injudi- 
cious planning  and  planting.  The  owners  of  such  grounds, 
though  they  know  nothing  about  gardening,  feel  that  they 
have  made  grave  errors,  but  that  it  is  beyond  their  power  to 
correct  them.  One  of  the  mistakes  most  frequently  com- 
mitted, is  that  of  planting  indiscriminately — leaving  no 
breadth  of  turf,  and  destroying  the  lawn  without  realizing 
any  effects  from  the  plantings.  If  we  look  about  us  we  shall 
see  how  often  this  occurs  ;  yet  it  seems  very  strange  that 
gentlemen  who  have  spent  thousands  upon  a  house,  would  be 
willing  to  sacrifice  beautiful  grounds  by  careless  planting. 
The  same  attention  and  care  which  are  bestowed  upon  the 
house  should  be  devoted  to  the  garden,  in  order  that  the 
house  and  its  surroundings  may  present  one  harmonious 
whole.  Another  common  error  is  that  of  planting  trees 
which  attain  large  size,  in  small  lots.  A  tall  elm  or  Norway 
spruce,  or  other  large  trees,  is  very  much  out  of  place  on  a 
small  lawn.  There  is  no  excuse  for  errors  of  this  kind,  for 
there  are  numbers  of  trees  of  secondary  size,  which  can  be 
employed  with  advantage." 

If  the  lawn  be  spacious,  a  couple  of  columns  si'fuilar  to  the 
one  illustrated  on  page  120  (fig.  89)  can  be  cheaply  constructed 
and  painted,  and  covered  with  vines  and  flowering  plants, 
all  affording  a  rich  and  continuous  field  for  the  bees,  and 
adding  wonderfully  to  the  general  effect.  Fig.  90  illustrates 
a  residence  with  a  narrow  front  lawn,  decorated  neatly,  but 
cheaply. 

If  a  pond  or  considerable  depression  occurs  in  the  grounds, 
it  can  be  transformed  very  easily  into  a  beauty-spot,  and  be 
made  to  contribute  to  the  profits  derived  from  the  apiary,  as 
also  to  the  pleasure  of  the  beholder.  Where  golden  rods, 
wild  bergamot,  asters,  and  other  honey  plants  grow  sponta- 
neously in  the  neighborhood,  we  would  give  them  the  prefer- 
ence in  cultivating,  as  they  would  be  hardier,  more  easily 
developed,  and  neighbors  not  keeping  bees  would  be  encour- 


122 


BEE    CULTURf:. 


aged  to  foster  them  for  their  natural,  but  hitherto  unappre- 
ciated beauty.  Clumps  of  pussy  or  button  willows  might  be 
transplant-ed  to  the  grounds  with  little  trouble,  and  the 
alder-berry  bush  would  be  a  beautiful  substitute  for  the  pop- 
ular, but  almost  worthless,  snow-ball.  Beds  of  asters  would 
look  delightful,  and  mints  of  all  kinds,  sage,  summer  savory, 
sweet  alyssum,  and  many  other  plants  could  be  used  in  vari- 
egated beds  or  for  borders.  By  pursuing  this  course,  not 
only  would  a  taste  for  flowers  be  cultivated,  but  the  younger 

L 


Fig.  90.—^  Floral  Lawn. 

members  of  the  family  (and  the  oldei-  ones,  too)  would  exhibit 
a  wonderful  aptitude  for  eifective  floriculture,  which  in  turn 
would  lead  to  the  study  and  acquirement  of  a  botanical 
education.  This  will  be  found  an  important  and  useful 
accomplishment,  to  aid  in  discriminating  against  obnoxious 
ami  poisonous  flowers  and  shrubs,  such  as  foxglove  (Digitalis), 
mountain  laurel,  oleander,  etc. 

We  ([note  from  Mr.  W.  T.  Stewart,  of  Kentucky,  the  fol- 
lowing very  appropriate  hints  on  the  subject,  which  will  give 
a  general  idea  of  what  to  do,  and  how  best  to  do  it,  leaving 
to  the  gardener  the  exercise  of  taste  to  vary  the  plans  to  suit 
surroundings : 


BEE   CULTURE. 


123 


'•To  make  a  beautiful  mound,  or  what  Avill  appear  to  be  a 
mound,  yet  is  only  level  ground,  plant  that  which  grows 
tallest  in  the  center  of  a  ring  or  circle,  next  tallest  outside 
of  that,  and  so  on  down  to  a  creeping  ground  plant.  For 
instance,  you  want  a  mound  twelve  feet  across,  six  or  eight 
feet  high  in  centei',  gradually  sloping  off  lower  until  it  is  on 
a  level  with  the  ground.  You  will  first  mark  it  off  in  rings, 
say  eighteen  inches  apart.  Now  transplant  in  the  center 
ring   eight  or   ten   fine    plants  of  figwort ;  it  grows  six  to 


Fig.  91.— Fox  Glove,  ]jrelly  but  poisonous. 

eight  feet  high,  filled  with  beautiful  seed  pods  as  large  as 
buckshot.  Next  row  transplant  with  goldenrod  ;  grows  four 
to  six  feet  high  ;  then  the  next  row  plant  in  spider  plant, 
which  grows  three  to  five  feet  high,  and  its  pretty  pink  flowers 
contrasting  strikingly  with  the  golden  rod.  Next  row  trans- 
plant with  motherwort  and  catnip  mixed  equally ;  two  feet 
high  ;  bloom  white.  Next  row  plant  princess  feather  ;  bloom 
is  scarlet  and  an  excellent  honey  plant.  Next  row,  white 
mustard  ;  one  foot  high  ;  bloom  gclden  yellow.  Next  rovs^ 
transplant  peppermint ;  bloom  white.  Last  row,  ground  ivy, 
a  creeping  vine,  and  good  for  bees.     This  will,  when  grown 


124 


BEE  CULTURE. 


up,  appear  to  bo  a  costly  iiiound,  most  beautiful  to  the  eye  of 
man  or  bee.  We  can  make  a  basin  in  the  same  way  by 
reversing  the  plants,  putting  the  lowest  in  the  center,  and  so 
on.  By  a  little  study  and  ingenuity  in  planting  we  can  con- 
trive many  pretty  designs  that  cost  nothing,  and  have  every 
plant  to  pay  nearly  as  well  as  vegetables  in  a  garden.  Plant 
in  groups  of  various  colored  bloom  and  varied  foliage,  too, 
among  our  bee  hives,  making  them  contrast  with  the  color  of 


Fig.  92.— Round  liibbon  Floioer  Bed. 

the  hives,  etc.  Plant  a  row  of  basswood,  poplar,  locust,  elm 
or  maple  all  round  the  fence,  and  keep  trimmed  nicely. 
Plums,  pears  and  cherries  among  your  hives,  for  shade,  honey 
and  fruit;  gooseberries,  currants  and  raspberries  can  all  be 
made  ornamental  in  the  shape  of  hedges  around  poultry 
yards,  garden  walk,  etc.,  and  all  are  good  honey  plants,  too. 

"  For  trellises,  around  porches,  verandas  and  windows  as 
a  running  vine,  there  is  nothing  superior  to  the  Clematis  for 


Fig.  9?i.— Diamond  Zlibbon  Flower  Bed. 

beauty,  shade  or  honey.  A'arious  colored  hollyhocks  may  be 
used  to  advantage  in  grouping  or  single;  it  is  also  a  good 
honey  producer,  but  better  for  pollen.  A  few  stalks  of  buck- 
wheat worked  in  for  variety  or  contrast,  does  not  look  badly. 
Make  a  border  of  peppermint  on  each  side  of  every  walk  and 
outer  edges  of  flower  beds,  and  even  around  the  door  and 
gate,  so  that  every  time  there  is  any  passing  around,  the 
clothing  or  feet  will  brush  against  the  peppermint.  In  this 
way  your  lawn  is  constantly  perfumed,  and  you  will  be  sur- 
prised to  see  how  much  mint  you  can  have  growing  in  this 


BEE    CULTURE. 


125 


way,  and  also  surprised  to  see  how  the  bees  take  to  it  through 
August  and  September — ^just  when  they  need  it.  If  you 
have  a  low,  wet  spot  on  your  grounds,  plant  there  a  clump  of 
willows.  With  a  group  of  sis  or  eight  willows  growing  on 
your  lawn,  you  can  make  it  the  center  of  attraction.  By 
bending  and  tying  them  together  you  can  make  them  grow 
in  every  conceivable  shape — chairs,  ladders,  hoops,  etc.,  can 


'iG.  ':)i.— Floral   Windotr. 

be  had  growing ;  besides,  it  is  beautiful  as  a  shade  tree,  and 
one  among  the  most  useful  of  all  honey  producers,  because  it 
comes  so  early  in  the  spring,  and  is  full  of  nectar  for  early 
use.  Plant  a  tree  of  either  elm  or  basswood  (twelve  feet 
apart  is  about  right),  one  on  each  side  of  your  gate  ;  when 
they  arrive  at  the  right  height,  bend  and  tie  them  together 
in  the  form  of  an  arch  :  keep  them  tied  until  they  have  grown 
in  that  shape.  An  arch  over  the  gate  is  pretty,  and  these 
trees  are  good  for  forage. 


126 


BEE    CULTURE, 


"  Make  a  ring  or  diamond  of  ten  feet  in  diameter  and 
transplant  into  it  dandelions  six  inches  apart  all  around  the 
outside,  then  fill  up  the  center  by  transplanting  wild  turkey 
peas,  thickly  set.     This  is  very  pretty  ;  early  in  spring  the 


Fig.  95.— Laying  out  a  Floicer  Bed. 

bed  -will  be  white  as  snow  and  the  border  yellow.  Both  are 
good  honey  producers,  and  they  come  so  very  early  that  they 
are  quite  a  luxury  for  our  bees.  A  hedge  all  around  the 
fences  of  motherwort  is  quite  a  bonanza.  You  will  notice 
that  most  all  the  plants  I  have  named  for  ornamenting  are 


Fig.  96. — Care  of  the  Flowers. 

such  as  will  only  require  planting  once,  and  come  from  the 
old  root  for  years  afterward.  Remember,  that  it  is  the 
design  and  in  the  ingenuity  displayed  in  planting  that  attracts 
the  attention  of  visitors,  more  than  the  quality  of  plants. 
Common  slants,  when  ingeniously  modeled,  are  prettier  than 


BEE   CULTURE  127 

costly  green-house  plants  scattered  helter  skelter,  without 
any  pretense  to  form  or  model.  But  when  you  have  laid  out 
beautiful  models  of  common  plants,  your  wife  will  be  sure  to 
improve  their  appearance  by  the  addition  of  a  few  pet  green- 
house plants,  which  are  not  honey  producers  themselves. 
But  they  will  not  drive  the  bees  away  from  those  that  do 
produce  it. 

"  When  once  we  have  introduced  this  novelty  in  our  town, 
we  will  soon  see  our  neighbors  trying  to  imitate  it  more  or 
less,  because  of  the  novelty  of  it  (not  for  bee  forage).  But 
our  bees  will  go  over  and  appropriate  it  to  their  use  just  the 
same  as  if  it  was  purposely  for  them.     But  we   must  keep 


Fig.  97.— Spike  of  Giant  Mignonette. 

still  as  to  the  purpose  of  such  a  lawn,  and  let  people  just 
think  that  the  novelty  of  the  thing  is  the  main  point,  if  we 
wish  them  to  appreciate  it  or  pattern  after  it  on  their  own 
lawns.  If  people  in  general  knew  that  such  a  lawn  was 
intended  for  forage  for  bees,  it  would  lose  half  its  charms  in 
their  estimation  ;  but  work  on,  getting  up  novelties,  and  say 
nothing  about  the  bee  part  of  it,  and  you  will  sea  that  it  is 
contagious,  and  people  will  gradually  fall  into  novelty  lawn 
planting." 

The  American  Agriculturist  gives,  in  its  March  number, 
1882,  the  following  excellent  advice,  bearing  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  selecting  the  fittest  for  general  honey  bloom.  We 
take  pleasure  in  recommending  its  careful  perusal  to  those 


128  BEE    CULTURE. 

who  are  locating  homes  in  the  treeless  Territories  which  are 
included  in  the  Act  of  Congress  granting  domain  for  planting 
forest  trees  ;  and  especially  is  it  desirable  that  apiarists  in 
those  districts  persuade  and  assist  new  settlers  in  making  the 
proper  selections  : 

"From  the  middle  of  March,  and  even  earlier,  in  the  far 
South,  to  the  middle  of  April,  is  the  time  to  attend  to  spe- 
cial planting  for  bees.  As  well  remarked  by  Mr.  Coffinberry 
at  the  National  Convention  (October,  1881),  no  subject  con- 
nected with  apiculture  is  more  deserving  attention.  If  each 
colony  of  bees  in  the  four  to  six  weeks  of  storing  can  give 
one-hundred  pounds  of  honey  to  the  apiarist,  what  might  be 


Fig.  98.— Head  of  Goldenrod. 

expected,  could  they  bo  kept  at  work  the  whole  season 
through  ?  The  great  fall  yield  from  autumn  flowers,  in 
Michigan  and  some  other  States,  suggests  the  answer.  The 
past  season,  in  some  sections,  the  autumn  yield  was  more 
than  all  the  rest  of  the  crop.  Yet  such  men  asG.  M.  Doolittle, 
L.  C.  Root,  and  others,  if  we  arc  rightly  informed,  get  no 
autumn  yield  at  all.  Surely  this  matter  of  providing  plants 
for  bee  pasturage  is  woithy  of  consideration. 

"Road-side  tree  planting  is  attracting  much  attention  at 
the  present  time.  Dr.  Warder,  of  Ohio,  and  others,  arc 
giving  the  subject  their  best  thought  and  study.  The  Legis- 
latures of  some  States  encourage  tree  planting  by  appointing 
"  Arbor  days  " — days  set  apart  for  tree  planting,  and  even 
by  granting  homesteads,  and  exemption  from  taxes  to  those 


BEE    CULTURE. 


129 


who  will  devote  time  to  this  important  work.  Why  do  not 
bee-keepers  see  to  it  that  the  valuable  maples,  which  furnish 
early  pollen  and  honey,  are  accompanied  by  the  still  more 
valuable  and  equally  beautiful  basswood  and  tulip  tree, 
called  poplar  at  the  South,  and  in  regions  where  they  will  do 


Fig.  99. — Branch  and  Blossoyns  of  Sourwood. 

well,  the  sourwood  and  Judas  tree.  Would  not  a  little 
energy  secure  these  trees  at  least  in  goodly  proportions  in 
the  roadside  tree  planting  ?  No  tree  excels  in  beauty  the 
basswood  and  tulip  tree,  and  the  great  amount  and  excellence 
of  the  nectar  which  they  furnish  is  well  known.     It  is  wise 


130 


BEE   CULTURE. 


in  tlie  matter  of  bee  food,  as  elsewhere,   to  add  as  many 
'strings  to  one's  bow'  as  is  possible. 

"  Every  bee-keeper  may  well  see  to  it  that  waste  places  along 
roadsides  by  railroads,  etc.,  are  covered  with  figwort.  Rocky 
Mountain  bee  plant,  spider  plant,  catnip,  motlierwort,  and 
melilot  or  sweet  clover.  This  last  is  a  most  valuable  honey 
plant,  but  some  of  our  farmers  oljjoct  to  it  as  a  troublesome 
weed.  How  is  this  ?  Many  who  liave  tried  it  say  it  is  not 
troublesome  in  the  least.  If  a  pest,  why  did  Prof.  Thorn, 
of  4he  Ohio  State  University,  recommend  it  lately  as  a  good 
forage  plant,  and  as  very  desirable  for  green  manuring  ? 


Fig.  100.— Bed  of  Marigolds. 

"  Bee-keepers  should  also  try  to  get  farmers  to  sow  alsike 
clover,  even  if  they  have  to  furnish  the  seed.  It  will  pay 
both  parties  largely,  without  doubt.  The  mammoth  red 
clover  is  also  a  good  bee  plant. 

"  As  all  bee-keepers  well  know,  nearly  all  our  plants  fail 
in  times  of  drouth.  True,  the  mustards  and  borage  yield 
some  honey,  but  not  bountifully.  Why  should  we  not  try 
to  introduce  the  famous  white  sage  of  California  ?  This 
plant  owes  its  very  existence  to  its  power  of  resistance  to 
drouth.  We  may  try  if  it  can  be  grown  in  the  East,  and 
what  the  result  will  be  in  yield  of  nectar. 

"Let  me  urge  bee-keepers  not  to  allow  the  spring  to  pass 
without  an  effort  to  do  something  in  the  way  of  culture  of 
special  honey  plants." 


BEE    CULTURE.  131 


IMPROVEMENT  IN  BEES. 


To  obtain  the  best  results  we  must  possess  the  highest 
grade  of  bees  that  it  is  possible  to  obtain.  Our  object  being 
to  elevate  the  race,  no  deterioration  should  be  countenanced, 
and  the  most  thorough  and  rigid  treatment  must  be  employed, 
all  looking  to  the  building  up  of  a  strain  of  bees  that  will 
give  the  best  of  results. 

The  (jueen  must  be  prolific  to  be  able  to  keep  the  hive  full 
of  bees,  to  gather  the  honey  harvest  when  it  comes  ;  the  bees 
must  be  industrious  to  let  nothing  escape  their  vigorous 
search  while  gathering  the  sweet  nectar  :  they  must  be  docile 
to  allow  the  apiarist  to  manipulate  them  with  ease  and 
pleasure  ;  they  must  be  strong  and  hardy,  to  withstand  the 
rapid  changes  in  climate  ;  and  must  be  of  singular  beauty,  to 
attract  the  admiratior.  ci  the  fancier  of  fine  stock. 

"The  bee  of  the  future"  will  be  present  at  the  very 
moment  when  the  slumbering  flower,  under  the  penetrating 
dew.  awakes  to  consciousness,  and  unfolds  its  buds  to  take 
in  the  first  rays  of  the  morning  sun.  The  ideal  bee  will  dip 
into  that  tiny  fountain,  v.-iiich  distills  the  honey  drop  by  drop, 
and  bear  off  its  honeyed  treasure  to  its  cells  of  virgin  comb. 

In  developing  the  highest  strain  of  horses,  not  all  their 
offspring  are  equal  to  the  best;  careful  selection  of  those 
coming  the  nearest  to  the  ideal  animal  must  always  be  chosen, 
from  which  to  breed,  and  the  closest  scrutiny  is  necessary 
while  making  that  selection.  The  same  is  true  of  cattle, 
sheep,  hogs,  poultry  and  bees.  '"Sports  '  i'.:id  "variations" 
continually  occur,  producing  inferior  progeny ;  but  all  care- 
ful breeders  who  have  an  eye  to  the  improvement  of  the  race, 
will  reject  those  that  do  not  come  up  to  the  "  standard  of 
excellence,"  sending  such  animals  and  poultry  to  the 
shambles — so  let  us  carefully  select  the  best  queens  and 
drones  to  breed  from,  and  remorselessly  sacrifice  all  others. 


132  BEE   CULTURE. 

In  searching  for  the  best  bees,  we  have  tried  and  discarded 
the  Carniolan,  Dalmatian,  Smyrnian,  Herzegovinian  and  the 
Egyptian.  In  1866,  two  eminent  Germans,  Count  Kolowrat 
/ind  Hern  Cori,  imported  the  first  Cyprian  bees  into  Europe, 
but  to  Italy  and  America  belong  the  honor  of  putting  forth 
the  greatest  exertions  to  pvod-uce  the  best  bees  in  the  World. 
Did  not  Signer  J.  Fioriiii,  an  Italian,  make  a  journey  to  the 
Island  of  Cyprus  and  to  Palestine  in  search  of  Cyprian  and 
Syrian  bees,  to  improve  the  race  of  Italian  bees  by  crossing, 
or  to  improve  those  races  by  careful  breeding  ?  Mr.  D.  A. 
Jones,  of  Canada,  also 

journeyed  to  the  Island  of  Cyprus  and  to  Palestine,  for  the 
same  object ;  he  secured  many  colonics  of  Syrian  bees,  and 
established  an  apiary  in  Cyprus,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Benton,  a 
brave  and  fearless  American,  who  (to  his  honor  be  it  stated) 
has  journeyed  through  Arabia,  India,  Ceylon,  and  the  East 
Indies,  and  in  the  face  of  danger  and  difficulties  untold,  in 
search  of  some  superior  race  of  bees,  or  some  that  may  be 
improved  by  judicious  breeding.  True,  he  has  not  been  as 
successful  as  could  have  been  desired,  but  he  has  planted  in 
Ceylon  some  colonies  of  bees  from  Italy  and  Cyprus,  and  if 
a  "cross"  of  any  value  can  be  obtained  between  these  and 
Apis  dorsata,  or  Apis  Jiorea,  he  has  placed  it  among  the  pos- 
sibilities, in  the  development  of  "the  bee  of  the  future." 

With  the  different  species  of  bees  now  at  hand  from  every 
clime,  history  will  repeat  itself — the  improved  merino  sheep 
but  typifies  the  improved  honey  bee  of  the  future.  Forages 
the  fine-wooled  sheep  of  Spain  had  been  famous,  but  were 
not  to  be  had  until  the  French  invasion  of  Spain  made  it 
possible.  The  American  merino  sheep  is  a  descendant  of  the 
best  sheep  of  Spain — but,  by  the  careful  American  breeder, 
it  is  made  to  yield  four  times  as  much  wool  as  the  original 
Spanish  sheep.  The  skillful  and  scientific  breeding  of  bees 
promises  as  great  a  triumph  for  America,  as  the  development 
of  that  famous  ten  thousand  dollar  buck,  "Gold  Drop." 

Dr.  J.  P.  II.  Brown,  of  Georgia,  at  the  National  Conven- 
tion of  1881,  reported  that  the  tongues  of  the  Cyprian  bees, 
in  a  trial  of  six,  aggregated  1-32  of  an  inch  longer  than  he 
re  iched  with  six  of  his  improved  Italians,  and  they  in  turn 
aggregated  3-32  of  an  inch  (one-tenth)  longer  than  the 
imported  Italians. 


fei:i5   CULftltlE. 


133 


Equally  pronounced  is  the  result  of  Prof.  Cook's  numerous 
microscopical  measurements  of  the  tongues  of  the  Syrian 
bees,  which  he  finds  to  equal  those  of  the  Cyprians,  and  .006 


Fig.  101.— Tongue  of  the  Honey  Bee. 

4-Tongue  extended  ;  B-Liffula,  sheath  extended  ;  O-Cros-i  section  of  ligula. 

of  an  inch  longer  than  those  of  the  Italian.  If  the  Syrians 
are  capable  of  as  great  improvement  as  has  taken  place  in 
the  Italians  up  to  this  time,  we  may  count  upon   a   tongue 


134  BEE  CtTLTtTRE, 

more  than  one-third  of  an  inch  in  length,  which  will  he  suffi- 
bient  to  reach  the  nectar  in  the  first  bloom  of  red  clover. 

la  1879  we  attended  the  great  Bee  and  Honey  Shows  and 
Congresses  of  ll^urope,  and  took  with  us  some  bees  from  the 
apiary  of  the  Bee  Journal — not  to  "astonish  the  natives," 
nor  to  arouse  the  jealousy  of  those  of  Foreign  climes — but  to 
get  a  frank  and  free  expression  of  opinion  concerning  them 
from  some  of  the  best  apiarists  of  the  World.  We  submitt<;d 
them  to  such  eminent  men  as  Signors  Pietro  Pilati  and  the 
late  Lucio  Paglia,  two  extensive  Italian  bee  breeders  ;  Mons. 
Dennler,  editor  of  the  Alsacian  Bicnoi  Zuechter;  Mons.  Ed. 
Bertrand,  editor  of  the  Bidhtia  D' Ajncnlfeur,  of  Switzer- 
land ;  Herr  Kail  Gatter,  editor  of  Bieuen.  Vate?;  in  Vienna, 
Austria  ;  Mons.  Ed.  Drory,  late  editor  of  V  Apiadtcur,  Bor- 
deaux, France  ;  IMoiis.  tl.  Ilaniet,  editor  of  Ij  ApicuUcur, 
Paris;  Count  (iactano  Barbo,  Pi'csident  of  the  ••  Central 
Societie  d'Apicoltore  ;"  Count  Alfonso  Visconti  dc  Saliceto, 
editor  of  V Apicoltore,  at  Milan,  Italy  ;  the  great  Dr.  Dzier- 
zon  ;  the  Countess,  widow  of  the  late  Baron  of  Berlepsch  ; 
the  late  Herr  Augustus  Schmid,  editor  of  the  Bicnen  Zei- 
tung;  Herr  Emil  Hilbert  ;  Herr  Vogel,  and  many  others, 
whose  names  are  '-household  words  "  throughout  the  apicul- 
tural  World — and  these  American-bred  Italians  were  pro- 
nounced the  most  beautiful  bees  they  had  ever  examined. 

JJ Ajiicoltore  for  October,  1879,  contained  the  follow- 
ing :  "  We  have  had  a  visit  from  Signer  T.  Gr.  Newman, 
editor  of  the  American  Bee  Journal,  and  President  of  the 
North  American  Bee-Keepers'  Society,  who  exhibited  to  us 
some  samples  of  American-bred  Italian  bees  obtained  by 
constant  selection  of  the  best  to  breed  from.  They  were 
workers  and  drones  the  most  beautiful  we  have  ever  seen. 
Their  color  was  of  a  splendid  light  yellow  ;  the  rings  of  the 
abdomen  were  also  yellow,  with  the  exception  of  the  last, 
which  was  blackish,  yet  the  sides  were  yellow.  On  the  corse- 
let, near  the  junction  of  the  abdomea,  they  were  of  purer 
yellow  than  we  had  ever  seen  on  any  other  bees." 

The  bee  of  the  "future"  will  be  the  one  that  will  gather 
the  most  honey,  be  the  most  prolific,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
the  most  docile,  hardy  and  industrious  ;  and  wlien  produced, 
whatever  may  be  its  colur  or  markings,  its  name  will  be  Apis 
Americana  ! 


B£E  CULtURK.  135 


BONFT    AXT)  BEE  SHOWS. 


Public  manipulations  with  bees  anei  magnificent  honey 
exhibits  would  be  the  most  attractive  features  of  State, 
County,  and  District  Fairs.  There  are  many  good  reasons  for 
introdiicing  such,  but  the  chief  one,  perhaps,  is  that  those 
who  produce  honey  for  the  market  may  be  induced  to  present 
it  in  the  most  marketable  shape  ;  for  tlie  new  methods  and 
new  ideas  of  practical  management  must  take  the  place  of 
the  old  and  undesirable  ones. 

It  is  our  aim  to  make  honey  a  staple  product.  To  this  end 
we  have  endeavored  to  popularize  the  consumption  of  honey 
by  the  masses,  as  well  as  to  raise  the  standard  of  production, 
by  applying  correct  principles  and  progressive  art  to  the 
management  of  the  apiary. 

Bees  and  honey  are  already  the  great  attraction  at  such 
Mrs  as  have  given  prominence  to  this  industry — and  this 
will  become  more  apparent  each  successive  year.  The  offi- 
cers of  the  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  Exposition  were  surprised  at  the 
result  of  their  experiment  in  encouraging  the  apiarian  depart- 
ment; they  realized  the  fact  that^'it  formed  the  greatest 
attraction  presented  by  the  Exposition. 

The  editor  of  the  Gazette  gave  his  views  of  the  subject  in 
the  following  article  :  '•  Few  things  last  week  brought  us  so 
many  pleasant  and  profitable  things  combined— as  the  dis- 
play of  honey  made  at  the  fair,  and  the  lecture  of  Mr.  New- 
man, of  Chicaso,  on  '-Bees  and  Honey."  The  attention 
given  to  the  subject  this  year  marks  a  new  era  ;  the  display 
attracted  very  irreat  attention  ;  good  prizes  were  offered  and 
awarded  ;  the  bee-keepers  of  the  region  were  encouraged,  and 
a  more  general  interest  was  aroused  in  the  subject.  The 
lecture  was  very  practical,  and  contained  many  hints  that  are 
invaluable.  But  practical  as  it  was,  the  pleasure  of  the 
apiarv  as  well  as  the  profit  was  told  ;  for  Mr.  Newman  is  an 
enthtisiast,  as,  to  use  his  own  words,  all  bee-keepers  are." 


136 


BEE  culture:. 


Mr.  Musser,  Supei'intendent  of  tlic  department,  wrote  ai^ 
follows:  "  The  exhibits  of  last  year  have  worked  up  quite 
an  interest  in  progressive  apioulture  in  this  vicinity.  Many 
then,  for  the  first  time,  saw  the  new  apiarian  improvements, 
■single  comb  section^,  comb  foundation,  etc.,  and  had  never 
heard  of  planting  anything  for  their  bees  to  get  honey  from. 
Not  one  cent  in  premiums  was  offered  last  year,  but  this  year 
over  $120,  besides  v.liplomas  are  offered,  and  next  year  I  know 
we  can  double  the  amount." 

The  managers  of  the  St.  Joseph  Fair,  have,  by  their  fore- 
sight, given  a  good  example  for  others  to  follow,  and  we  hope 


Fig.  102.— Co/  uer  of  Building  enclosed  xoith  Netting. 

the  time  will  speedily  come  when  apiculture,  so  long  neglected 
by  the  managers  of  fairs,  will  receive  its  due  share  of 
attention.  Liberal  premiums  should  be  offered  for  the  best 
exhibits,  and  these  premiums  should  cover  a  large  variety  of 
special  points  in  order  to  make  the  competition  the  more 
lively,  as  well  as  to  enhance  apiarian  science  in  general. 

Fig.  102  shows  one  corner  of  a  room  on  the  second  floor  of 
a  building  on  the  Fair  grounds,  enclosed  by  mosquito  bar — 
the  hives  of  bees  being  inside,  with  a  tube  connecting  with 


BEE   CULTURE,  337 

the  entrances  running  through  the  sides  of  the  building, 
allowing  the  bees  free  passage  in  and  out  of  the  hives. 
Manipulation  or  examination  of  the  bees,  may  be  accomplished 
by  going  inside  the  netting,  and  no  one  outside  need  be  dis- 
turbed by  the  bees.  Fig.  1U3  shows  the  ground  plan  of  the 
same  corner  :  A  shows  the  netting  ;  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  Gr  shows 
the  entrance  tubes  to  the  hives. 

When  in  Great  Britain,  during  the  summer  of  1879, 
we  found  that  the  most  attractive  features  of  the  fairs  were 
the  public  manipulations  with  bees,  and  the  large  display  of 
honey  of  captivating  beauty.  There  they  had  a  large  tent 
(fig.  104)  ;  the  inner  circle  being  enclosed  by  mosquito  bar  or 
netting  around  the  sides  and  about  eight  feet  high,  leaving 
the  top  entirely  open.     Around  this  circle  is  a  passageway, 


Fig.  \03.— Corner  of  Buikling  sliOichig  Entrance  Tubes. 

covered  with  canvas  above  and  outside,  about  eight  feet 
high,  and  six  feet  broad ;  in  this  inclosure  the  audience 
assemble  to  witness  the  mariipulations  with  bees. 

We  gave  eight  half-hour  lectures  in  this  tent ;  each  time 
the  inclosure  was  full  of  eager  listeners.  Two  of  these  were 
delivered  at  the  Scottish  Bee  and  Honey  Show,  at  Perth, 
concerning  which  the  Dundee  Advertiser  remarks:  '-The 
manipulating  tent  was  a  scene  of  great  interest  during  the 
show.  It  is  of  octagon  shape,  the  operator  standing  in  the 
middle,  while  the  public  feel  secure  under  the  protection  of 
an  intervening  gauze  screen.  Driving  bees  from  a  straw 
skep  and  transferring  their  combs  to  a  bar-frame  hive,  were 
hourly  operations,  and  never  failed  to  strike  with  astonish- 
ment the  spectators,  who  stood  aghast  at  seeing  a  human 
being  unprotected  turning  up  a  hive  of  bees,  and  handling 
them  as  if  they  were  blue  flies.     Mr.  Thos.  (x.  Newman,  edi- 


138 


BEB  CULTURE. 


tor  of  the  American  Bee  Journal,  was  present,  and  gave 
lectures  on  American  bee-keeping,  which  were  very  interest- 
ing. The  Society  presented  to  him  a  medal  as  a  souvenir  of 
his  visit  to  this  country,  and  for  the  valuable  services  he  has 
rendered  to  the  present  session  of  the  Society." 

For  exhibiting  bees,  observatory  hives  were  used — those 
having  glass  sides,  through  which  the  bees  may  be  seen  at 
work — the  hives  being  inside  the  exhibition  building,  with  a 
tube  covering  tiie  entrance,  and  running  through  the  side  of 
the  building,   giving   free  passage,  in  and   out,  for  the  bees. 


Fig.  104.— i>ee  Tent  neav  Cohinin  Vase. 

Sometimes,  a  glass  box  inclosing  each  frame,  arranged  like 
leaves  of  ti  book,  with  a  common  entrance  to  all  of  them, 
from  the  tube  running  through  the  side  of  the  building,  is 
made  to  exhibit  bees.  This  gives  an  opportunity  for  thorough 
examination  of  the  whole  colony. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  BEE  AND  HONEY  SHOWS. 

A  correspondent  in  the  London  HorficulturalJournal,  says  : 
"I  «;an  state  without  fear  of  contradiction  that  never  in  the 
memory  of  man  has  there  been  such  a  desire  to  keep  bees  as 
at  the  present  time.     People  here  have  been  so  encouraged  in 


BEE  CULTURE. 


139 


bee-keeping  as  taught  in  the  bee  tents,  that  I  have  almost 
daily  applications  for  instructions  concerning  bees  and  hives," 
A  letter  from  a  gentleman  in  England  says  :     '•  The  Amer- 
ican   honey    introduced  into   this   country  in  the   '-prize" 


boxes,  have  exercised  a  comp'ective  influence  upon  the 
honey  show  this  year.  The  season  being  more  propitious 
than  last— the  large  number  of  Americausurplus  boxes  im- 


140  HKE    CULTURE. 

ported  into  this  country,  have  gone  in(o  use,  and  the  ninety- 
eight  different  exhibits,  displayed  at  least  a  variety  never 
found  at  an  American  lair,  while  the  highest  prizes  in  any 
class,  were   awarded  to  the  honey  in  American  sections." 

Concerning  the  Toronto  Bee  and  Honey  Show,  JMr.  Wm. 
F.  Clarke  says  :  ''  Under  the  stimulus  of  the  liberal  prize 
list,  there  was  a  magnificent  array  of  honey.  The  directors 
appropriated  an  entire  building  to  the  use  of  bee-keepers,  and 
lor  the  first  time  at  a  great  exhibition  on  the  American  con- 
tinent, "  honey  hall  "  advertised  itself  side  by  side  with  hor- 
ticultural hall,  dairy  hall,  etc.  Honey  was  displayed  in  every 
form,  calculated  to  make  the  mouths  of  spectators  water. 
The  tin  packages  and  cans  were  gorgeously  colored  and 
labeled  ;  the  glass  jars  were  in  various  beautiful  shapes,  and 
even  the  wooden  boxes  displayed  a  wonderful  diversity  of 
taste.  In  the  center  was  a  miniature  church,  ingeniously 
built  of  honey  comb  and  wax,  wntli  pinnacles  and  spire.  A 
smashing  trade  in  honey  was  done  at  the  exhibition.  Thou- 
sands of  people  might  be  seen  with  gay-looking  tin  cans 
dangling  from  their  fingers,  or  >vith  pi-etty  glass  jars  in  their 
hands,  or  nice  boxes  under  their  arms.  They  bought  and 
carried  them  home  very  much  as  is  usually  done  with  toys 
and  trinkets  on  such  occasions.  The  success  of  this  show 
awakens  great  expectations  as  to  the  future  of  bee-keeping  in 
this  country." 

Of  the  Honey  Show  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  the  Semi-Tropic 
said  :  '-The  attractive  display  of  bees  and  honey  formed  a 
center  around  which  apiarists  literally  swarmed.  One  hun- 
dred and  two  varieties  of  honev-producing  flowers,  formed  a 
novel  and  interesting  feature  of  this  exhibition.  The  deco- 
rations of  white  sage  were  tasteful  and  appropriate,  and  the 
nectar  itself,  in  jars  arranged  in  pyramidal  shape,  clear  as 
crystal,  supported  by  frame  after  frame  of  comb  honey,  snowy 
and  inviting,  made  a  picture  which  cannot  be  photographed 
except  by  the  artist  memory.  There  were  samples  of  excel- 
lent honey  vinegar,  almost  coloi'less,  and  above  average  in 
acidity  ;  several  samples  of  fruit  preserved  in  honey  with  un- 
deniable success,  and  three  kinds  of  honey  cake,  which  elicited 
the  warmest  praise  from  those  who  were  fortunate  enough 
to  secure  a  sample.  Fruit  cake  made  with  honey  is  richer 
and  retains  moisture  much  lonsjer  than  that  made  of  susrar." 


BEE   CULTURE.  141 


THE  WINTERING  OF  BEES. 


Notwithstanding  much  has  been  said  and  written  regarding 
the  requisites  for  successful  wintering,  the  problem  yet  seems 
unsolved.  In  Russia,  in  order  to  evade  the  rigors  of  winter, 
a  deep  pit  or  subterranean  vault  is  dug  in  the  ground,  and 
the  "gums"  containing  the  bees  are  piled  one  above  the 
other  several  feet  below  the  surface  ;  then  a  straw  hut  is 
constructed  above-ground,  over  the  pit.  with  a  door  for  ven- 
tilation in  the  leeward  side,  to  carry  off  the  moisture  and  heat 
from  the  bees.  If  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  bees  survive  till 
spring  the  bee-keeper  feels  much  encoi/raged.  In  our  Central 
and  Northern  States,  cellar  repositories  seem  to  have  met 
with  more  favor  than  perhaps  any  other  plan  ;  still,  some  ex- 
perienced and  comparatively  quite  successful  apiarists  are 
found  among  the  advocates  of  numerous  other  methods,  most 
prominent  of  which  are  chaff  hives  on  summer  stands,  double- 
wall  hives,  frame  hives  with  deep  combs,  etc. 

To  account  for  the  many  failures  of  all  the  popular  methods 
numerous  theories  have  been  put  forth  by  the  wise  ones, 
while  others  stand  aghast  at  having  had  their  pet  theories 
proven  mere  chimeras ;  and  even  the  most  confident  look  for- 
ward with  trembling  anxiety,  scarcely  knowing  which  is  the 
strongest  sentiment — hope  or  fear.  Breed  our  bees  up  to 
what  standard  we  may,  create  a  popular  demand  for  honey 
till  it  is  as  eagerly  sought  after  as  bread,  build  up  the  price 
till  our  profits  count  cent,  per  cent,  when  Providence  ordains 
a  favorable  winter,  and  yet,  with  all  these,  there  is  a  nervous 
anxiety  about  the  business  that  is  not  dispelled  till  we  have 
passed  the  last  nipping  frost  of  spring.  Disguise  the  fact  as 
we  may,  until  some  method  for  wintering  is  devised — that  is, 
a  method  which  will  prove  as  safe  and  certain  for  a  medium 
weak  colony  as  a  strong  one  :  which  will  at  all  times  give 
bees  access  to  their  stores  let  them  be  in  what  part  of  the 
hive  they  may ;  that  will  be  as  safe  in  a  long,  inclement  win- 


142  BEE   CULTURE. 

ter,  such  as  188U-81,  as  they  were  the  winter  before;  that 
will  carry  a  colony  through  on  the  lowest  minimum  of  honey  ; 
that  will  be  cheap  of  construction  and  easy  of  application — 
until  then,  the  success  attending  bee-keeping  will  be  more  or 
less  a  matter  of  chance. 

All  the  best  apicultural  authorities  of  the  present  day,  as 
well  as  those  who  have  gone  before,  give  the  following  as 
absolute  refjuisites  for  safe  wintering:  1.  An  even  temper- 
ature ranging  from  42°  to  45°.  2.  Complete  expulsion  or 
absorption  of  moisture  from  the  body  of  the  hive.  3.  Per- 
fect freedom  from  outward  disturbances.  4.  Protection  of 
stores  from  contact  with  frost.  5.  Protracted  isolation  from 
atmospheric  changes  in  spring.  6.  Exclusion  ot  light.  7.  Suf- 
ficient stores  for  winter  consumption.  It  is  generally 
admitted  that  with  these  seven  contingencies  provided  for, 
there  will  be  no  hazard  in  wintering,  and  it  is  further 
admitted,  that  no  plan  so  far  practiced  combines  all  these 
essentials. 

There  have  been  various  devices  gotten  up,  such  as  chaff- 
packed  hives,  porous-wall  hives  and  double-wall  hives,  many 
of  which  have  proved  very  effective  during  an  ordinary  win- 
ter, and  all  ot  which,  as  a  rule,  were  much  better  than  nc 
protection  at  all,  but  with  such  a  winter  as  that  of  1880-81, 
all  methods  of  out-door  packing  were  more  or  less  faulty, 
except  where  all  the  other  requirements  were  most  amply  pro- 
vided for.  The  winter  of  1881-82  was  quite  to  the  other 
extreme — but  few  periods  occurring  where  more  than  two  or 
three  weeks  elapsed  without  a  purifying  flight,  and  bees 
wholly  unprotected  seemed  to  fare  quite  as  well  as  those 
packed  or  cellared  with  the  greatest  care. 

CHAFF   PACKING   FOR   WINTER. 

Under  this  heading  we  will  embrace  all  the  different 
methods  for  wintering  on  the  summer  stand.  The  double- 
wall  hive,  perhaps,  will  convey  the  best  idea,  which  can  be 
modified  to  suit  the  convenience  or  judgment  of  the  apiarist. 
The  hive  illustrated  uses  the  Gallup  frame,  which  is  nearly 
square,  the  top-bar  being  13^  inches  long;  end  bars,  lOf 
inches,  and  the  bottom  bar  llf  inches,  making  a  frame 
12x11  inches  outside.  The  body  of  the  hive  is  square, 
measuring  18^x18^  inches  outside.    D  E  are  reversible  cases, 


BEE   CULTURE. 


143 


closed  on  one  side  each  with  f  inch  boards,  and  top  mounted 
with  metal  rabbets.  These  can  be  packed  with  chaff,  straw 
or  leaves,  and  the  open  side  covered  with  burlaps,  tacked 
around  the  edges  ;  or  the  spaces  can  be  left  unfilled,  forming 
an  air-space  between  the  outer  and  inner  walls  of  the  hive. 
For  wintering  on  summer  stands,  these  inner  cases  may  be 
turned,  bringing  the  warm  cushions  next  the  bees.  This 
forms  an  absorbent  of  inside  moisture,  and  also  keeps  the 
bees  at  an  even  temperature,  being  warm  in  winter  and  cool 
in  summer.  With  the  Langstroth  hive,  double  front  and  rear 
can  be  used,  and  by  inserting  a  division-board  at  each  side, 


Fig.  106. — Hive  with  Chaff  Packing  for  Winter. 

and  filling  with  chaff,  or  taking  out  two  brood-frames,  and 
slipping  down  a  chaff  or  straw  cushion,  the  sides  will  be  pro- 
vided for ;  then  a  woolen  blanket  over,  on  which  a  chaff  or 
straw  cushion  may  be  placed,  and  the  hive  cover  placed  over 
all.  We  like  Mr.  C.  F.  Muth's  suggestion  to  bore  a  hole  in 
each  end  of  the  cover,  above  the  packing,  to  give  escape  to 
the  moisture  from  above,  and  prevent  the  formation  of  frost 
and  mold  in  the  hive. 

Another  method  is,  to  surround  the  hive  with  a  box  some 
six  inches  larger,  then  put  the  hive  in,  provide  a  winter  pas- 
sage out  from  the  entrance,  and  fill  with  sawdust,  forest 
leaves  or  chaff;  leaving  the  cover  off  the  hive,  filling  in  on 
top,  over  the  blanket  or  cushion  with  packing  loose,  and  then 


144  BEE    CULTURE. 

cover  the  box.  In  all  cuses  of  packing  on  the  summer  stand, 
a  passage-way  should  be  made  through  each  comb,  a  little 
above  and  back  of  the  center,  or  three-quarter  inch  square 
sticks  be  laid  over  the  tops  of  the  frames,  to  afford  the  bees 
a  passage  from  comb  to  comb,  to  reach  their  stores  without 
going  to  the  extreme  ends  of  the  frames  to  pass  around. 

For  wintering  on  summer  stands,  all  preparations  should  be 
made  early  enough  in  the  fall  to  admit  of  ample  feeding  in  case 
of  a  scarcity  of  stores,  as  they  cannot  often  be  fed  afterward 
without  great  disturbance. 

PREPARING  THE  CELLAR  FOR  WINTERING. 

The  first  step  in  this  direction,  is  to  be  assured  that  the 
cellar  is  sufiiciently  warm  to  prevent  the  freezing  of  potatoes, 
apples,  etc.,  and  provided  with  sufficient  ventilation  to  allow 
of  the  escape  from  it  of  noxious  gases  and  heat  generated  by 
the  bees.  It  is  wisdom  to  provide  a  means  of  letting  in  cold 
air  from  the  outside,  should  occasion  require.  Although 
when  unoccupied  the  cellar  may  be  at  a  mean  temperature  of 
40°  F.,  if  100  colonies  be  placed  in  it  they  would  soon  gener- 
ate sufficient  animal  heat  to  run  the  mercury  up  to  50°,  or 
even  more.  The  bea  apartment  should  be  separate  by  itself, 
and  not  go  situated  as  to  be  subject  to  constant  invasions  by 
individuals  or  vermin.  The  covers  should  be  removed  from 
the  hives,  one  or  two  thicknesses  of  woolen  or  cotton  cloth 
spread  over  the  frames,  two  or  three  inch-square  sticks  laid 
crosswise  of  the  hive,  and  the  next  one  set  on  top  and  treated 
the  same  way,  proceeding  thus  till  all  are  neatly  and  carefully 
piled  up.  This  work  should  not  be  done  till  the  fall  is  so  far 
advanced  that  the  bees  will  be  quite  chilled,  and  exhibit  but 
little  activity  when  slightly  disturbed.  Of  course,  too  much 
care  cannot  be  exercised  to  do  all  your  work  gently,  and  if 
you  can  do  so  without  the  bees  knowing  they  are  being  moved, 
it  will  be  much  better.  When  all  are  nicely  piled  away, 
darken  every  nook  and  crack,  so  that  should  the  bees  venture 
to  the  entrances  to  the  hives,  they  might  think  it  a  perpetual 
night.  At  least  every  fortnight  enter  your  bee  apartment 
with  a  dark  lantern,  and  satisfy  yourself  that  all  progresses 
favorably.  If  the  thermometer  indicates  above  45°  F.,  admit 
cold  air  at  night;  if  below  40°  F.,  partly  close  the  escape,  to 
bring  the  mercury  up  to  the  desired  temperature.     Be  cer- 


BEE    CULTURE. 


145 


tain,  before  winter  has  come,  that  all  are  provided  with 
thirty-pounds  each  of  good  honey,  and  they  are  provided  for 
a  four  month's  repose. 


HOUSE    FOR    WINTERING    BEES. 


Mr.  W.  L.  Drake  has  invented  a  triple-walled  house  for 
this  purpose,  and  to  be  used  for  a  dairy  house  in  summer. 
The  house  is  built  of  brick.  The  illustration  gives  an  end 
view  of  the  house,   with  door  closed  and  air-supply  drafts 


Fig.  107.— Triple- Wcdl  Winter  Bee  House. 

open.  0.  gives  a  view  with  the  corner  bricks  removed, 
exposing  the  air-spaces  in  the  wall.  The  outer  air-space 
completely  envelopes  the  middle  and  inner  brick  wall,  and  is 
intended  for  a  circulating  air  chamber.  The  inner  space  is  a 
dead-air  chamber,  completely  enveloping  the  inner  wall,  and 
entirely  disconnected  from  the  outer  air  chamber.  E  is  a 
flue  connecting  with  the  body  of  the  room,  for  the  purpose  of 


146  BEE    CULTURE. 

drawing  off  the  heat  and  permitting  the  escape  of  noxious 
gases  generated  by  the  bees.  It  will  be  observed  the  flues 
or  dampers-  connected  with  the  outer  or  circulating  air 
chamber  can  be  opened  or  closed  at  will,  to  regulate  the 
temperature  in  the  outer  space,  and  this  again  can  be  dis- 
charged in  the  main  room  by  means  of  flues  piercing  through 
and  independent  of  the  dead  air  or  second  space.  The  floor 
and  ceiling  are  each  double,  air-tight,  and  connected  with  the 
dead-air  space.  The  outer  or  front  door  is  a  double  battened 
door,  with  an  inner  or  sash  door.  A  house  of  this  kind, 
12x18  feet,  will  aecommoda-te  about  300  colonies. 

Mr.  F.  W.  Comings  gives  the  following  description  of  a 
house  which  passed  the  ordeal  of  the  winter  of  1880-81  with 
the  loss  of  but  two,  which  succumbed  from  starvation  :  "  The 
.house  is  12x18  feet,  and  studding  ten  feet.  There  being  no 
cellar  under  it,  we  dug  a  trench  about  two  feet  deep,  and  laid 
a  heavy  stone  wall  in  it.  The  sills  were  6x14  inches.  We 
then  put  up  a  set  of  2x5  inch  studs,  and  double-boarded  the 
outside  and  sided  up  the  inside,  filling  the  wall  with  sawdust. 
Then  put  up  a  set  of  1x2  inch  studs  against  this  wall  and 
sided  up ;  then  another  set  of  2x5  inch  studs  and  sided  with 
matched  spruce,  filling  the  second  wall  with  sawdust.  Thus 
we  have  two  five-inch  stuffed  walls,  and  an  inch  dead-air 
space  between  them.  Overhead  we  put  ten  inches  of  sawdust, 
and  studded  the  floor,  using  four  inches  for  that.  We  use 
three  doors  in  one  end,  in  winter,  making  two  dead-air 
spaces.     Have  ample  ventilations  in  roof  and  floor." 

WINTERING   BEES   IN    rL.\MPS. 

Mr.  M.  Quinby  favored  wintering  bees  by  burying,  which 
is  practiced  by  many  at  the  present  day.  The  mode  is  to  dig 
a  trench  in  a  hillside  or  ground  with  sufficient  slope  to  insure 
drainage.  This  is  partly  filled  in  with  straw,  on  which  the 
hives  are  placed ;  boards  are  slanted  up  in  front  ;  wooden 
tubes  placed  in  position  to  ventilate  the  pit,  straw  thrown  on 
the  hives,  over  which  boards  are  laid  lengthwise,  and  dirt 
'  piled  over  all  to  turn  off  the  water. 


BEE   CULTURE.  147 


GENERAL  ADVICE  TO  BEGINNERS. 


Having  already  described  a  suitable  location  for  an  apiary, 
and  indicated  who  should  engage  in  the  business,  when  to 
commence,  what  kind  and  how  many  colonies  of  bees  to  begin 
with,  we  offer  the  following  advice  to  beginners  : 

GENERAL  INFORMATION  NECESSARY. 

Obtain,  at  least,  a  general  knowledge  of  the  natural 
history  of  the  honey  bee,  and  of  its  management.  Become 
acquainted,  both  theoretically  and  practically,  with  the  use  of 
improved  apiarian  implements.  This  can  be  obtained  by 
studying  a  good  manual  for  the  apiary  and  bee  periodicals, 
in  connection  with  experience  in  the  apiary.  Spend  some 
time  with  a  practical  and  progressive  apiarist,  even  if  you 
have  to  pay  for  the  privilege  of  "  helping"  him  ;  for  success- 
ful and  prudent  care  of  bees  at  all  seasons  and  under  varied 
circumstances,  and  the  skill  necessary  to  obtain  the  most 
honey  in  the  best  condition  for  the  market,  can  be  obtained 
only  by  practical  experience  in  the  apiary.  From  time  im- 
memorial bees  have  been  kept  by  man,  but  until  the  past  few 
years  the  pursuit  has  not  received  that  attention  that  it  de- 
mands. In  this,  as  in  all  other  departments  of  business,  it  is 
only  the  careful  and  practical  that  succeed.  Nature  has  pro- 
vided the  health-giving  delicious  nectar  in  myriads  of  beauti- 
ful flowers,  that  deck  forest,  field  and  garden,  and  developed 
the  bees  to  gather  this  abundant  sweetness  and  store  it  in 
quantities  far  exceeding  their  wants — and  man  may  step  in 
to  aid  nature  and  bees,  and  utilize  the  surplus  honey  for 
his  pleasure  and  sustenance. 

SELECTING    A    LOCATION. 

Locate  where  there  is  a  profusion  of  white  clover,  with 
timber  to  the  west  and  north,  within  range,  where  basswood 
or  linden  abounds  ;  goldenrod,  asters,  Spanish  needle  and 
heartsease,  or  smartweed,  abound  in  almost  every  locality, 


148  BEE   CULTURE. 

and  whore  they  do  not,  it  is  easy  and  profitable  to  put  in  a 
few  acres  of  buckwheat  for  bite  fall  honey,  as  there  is  none 
better  for  wintering  bees,  and  extracted  buckwheat  honey 
will  always  find  a  ready  sale.  In  locating  m  apiary,  avoid 
the  close  proximity  of  laurel  thickets,  as  honey  gathered 
from  the  laurel  is  unwholesome,  if  not  really  poisonous  ;  avoid 
the  neighborhood  of  cider  mills,  and  do  not  locate  immediately 
near  a  large  body  of  water,  as  it  will  confine  your  bee-range 
to  one  direction  exclusively.  A  broken  or  low  country  is  no 
particular  disparagement,  because  the  less  desirable  for  culti- 
vation, the  more  encouragement  will  there  be  for  you  to  take 
time  by  the  forelock,  and  plant  plentifully  of  such  honey 
plants  as  will  insure  a  constant  bloom,  and  provide  against 
the  time  when  others,  encouraged  by  your  success,  shall  also 
commence  bee-keeping  in  your  neighborhood  and  over-stock 
the  location,  unless  nature  is  liberally  assisted.  With  all  the 
above  natural  advantages  secured,  aided  by  your  provident 
forethought  in  planting,  you  will  have  done  much  to  settle 
the  question  as  to  the  best  method  of  wintering,  and  your 
bees,  let  them  be  of  whatever  color,  will  solve  the  problem  as 
to  which  is  the  best  race.  We  are  often  almost  persuaded, 
that  were  more  attention  devoted  to  selecting  a  suitable  loca- 
tion, and  to  providing  continuous  pasturage,  there  would  be 
less  cause  for  so  much  talk  about  procuring  the  best  races  of 
bees  ;  the  bees  reared  'ncr.th  Italia's  skies,  would  scarcely  re- 
pay the  expense  of  importing  ;  no  longer  would  we  tread  the 
shining  sands  of  Syria  in  search  of  a  better  type  ;  we  could 
afi"ord  to  respect  the  superstitions  and  avoid  the  scorching 
sun  of  Cyprus,  for  their  bees  w'ould  gather  no  more  honey 
than  our  own  ;  the  bees  oi"  China  would  be  left  undisturbed 
in  the  shade  of  its  historic  wall  ;  and  those  in  Caucasus  would 
still  fly  from  flower  to  flower  in  their  own  native  valleys. 
What  though  we  possess  a  type  of  bees  with  the  wings  of 
a  condor,  with  tongues  as  long  as  was  that  of  Xantippe,  and 
honey  sacs  with  a  carrying  capacity  equal  to  that  of  Falstaff, 
of  what  avail  are  they  if  there  is  no  honey  to  gather  ? 

PLAN   FOR   AN   APIAKV. 

Decide  upon  u  plan  for  an  apiary,  and  then  make  it 
beautiful.  Of  all  mankind,  bee-keepers  should  admire  the 
beautiful — and  we  really  think  they  do.     Italian,  Cyprian, 


BEE   CULTURE.  l49 

Syrian  and  Albino  bees  are  beautiful  to  look  upon,  and  sip 
nectar  from  the  loveliest  flowers,  hiding  it  in  dainty  cells  of 
matchless  beauty  and  virgin  whiteness.  What  is  there,  in 
all  Creation,  so  soul-inspiring  as  a  cultivated  garden  of 
Nature's  flowers,  of  vai'iegated  hues  and  heavenly  grandeur? 
None  but  the  unfortunate  or  despondent  can  fail  to  enjoy 
Nature  in  her  garb  of  beauty,  decked  by  the  bounteous  hand 
of  Deity.  To  produce  a  garden  of  living  gorgeousness  we 
may  all  aspire,  and  long  enjoy  its  gi'atifying  results. 

ADOPT   A   STANDARD   FRAME. 

Adopt  one  of  the  standard  hives,  and  then  scruptt- 
lously  adhere  to  its  use — for  all  the  hives  in  one  apiary 
should  be  alike,  and  the  frames  and  all  other  parts  inter- 
changeable, in  order  to  give  the  best  results.  Number  con- 
spicuously every  hive — either  with  a  stencil  plate,  or  by 
painting  large  white  figures  on  them. 

KEEP    AX    APIARY   REGISTER. 

Obtain  an  Apiary  Register  from  the  ofiice  of  the 
American  Bee  Journal,  for  at  least  one-hundred  colonies ; 
then  you  have  room  to  add  all  swarms  and  keep  the  record 
all  in  one  book.  The  two  opposite  pages  are  to  be  numbered 
to  correspond  with  the  number  on  the  hive.  This  can  be 
referred  to  instantly,  and  should  contain  a  full  history  of  the 
colony.  By  its  careful  and  constant  use  your  bees  may  be 
improved,  their  most  valuable  qualities  developed,  and  the 
products  of  the  apiary  be  greatly  enlarged.  Should  a 
i|ueen  lack  any  desirable  quality  you  will  in  this  way  soon  dis- 
cover it.  and  can  supersede  her.  In  this  Register  let  all  the 
nuportant  facts  be  noted,  and  b)  its  complete  history  of  each 
colony  you  may  systematize  ali  your  work,  lay  it  out  in 
advance,  save  confusion,  and  inaugurate  the  best  methods  and 
management. 

increase  bv  division. 

This  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  in  the 
management  of  an  apiary.  All  operations  will  be  governed 
somewhat  by  the  number  of  colonies  to  be  manipulated,  and 
the  amount  of  increase  desired  ;  it  should  also  be  borne  in 
mind  that,  although  the  amount  of  increase  possible  is  almost 
unlimited,  all  excessive  increase  will  be  at  the  expense  of  the 


l50  BEE   CULTURfi. 

surplus  honey  yield.  In  order  to  be  better  understood,  we 
will  suppose  the  apiarist  has  four  good  colonies  which  he 
wishes  to  increase  to  nineteen.  As  a  progressive  bee-keeper, 
he  will  be  actuated  by  a  desire  to  possess  the  best ;  therefore, 
the  colony  which  has  heretofore  proven  the  most  satisfactory 
in  all  things,  will  be  selected  as  the  one  from  which  to  rear 
queens  for  new  colonies.  This  colony,  for  convenience  in 
summarizing,  we  will  designate  No.  1.  As  soon  as  spi'ing 
opens,  feed  No.  1  daily  about  half  a  pint  of  thin  sugar  syrup 
or  honey,  diluted  with  warm  water.  This  had  better  be  fed 
jit  the  entrance  in  the  evening,  to  avoid  robbing,  and  be  given 
slightly  warmed.  Keep  this  up  till  there  is  capped  drone 
brood  in  some  of  the  combs,  or,  better  still,  till  you  have 
drones  emerging  from  the  cells.  Now  move  one  of  the  other 
colonies  from  its  stand  (which  we  will  designate  No  2) ;  place 
No.  2  on  a  new  stand,  put  a  new  or  empty  hive  on  the  stand 
vacated  ;  lift  the  frame  from  No.  1  on  which  3'ou  find  the 
queen  and  place  in  the  empty  hive  (No.  3)  ;  place  a  frame  of 
foundation  in  No.  1  and  close  the  hive.  From  No.  2,  and  each 
of  the  two  hives  not  numbered  lift  two  frames  of  brood  well 
advanced,  shake  off  the  old  bees,  and  ptit  the  combs  in  No.  3, 
with  the  queen  lately  placed  there.  These  last  frames  put 
in  should  be  alternated  as  much  as  possible,  so  as  to  confuse 
the  working  bees  from  No.  2,  which  will  naturally  return  to 
the  old  stand  and  enter  No.  8.  Fill  up  the  latter  hive  with 
frames  of  foundation,  alternated  with  the  brood  combs,  to  its 
full  complement.  If  a  ten-frame  hive,  this  will  give  it  seven 
frames  of  brood,  three  frames  of  foundation,  and  your  best 
queen.  If  you  have  bright,  clean,  empty  combs,  they  will 
answer  abou-t  as  well  as  foundation,  though  we  prefer  the 
best  foundation.  Put  in  foundation  or  combs  to  supply  the 
places  of  those  taken  from  the  other  hives,  close  them,  and 
your  first  division  is  completed,  making  six  colonies.  In  ten 
days,  examine  carefully  the  combs  in  No.  1,  to  see  how  many 
good  queen  cells  (fig.  68)  you  have  capped  over.  Close  the 
hive  carefully,  and  let  it  remain  twenty-four  to  thirty-six 
hours.  As  soon  as  you  have  determined  the  number  of  cells, 
remove  each  of  the  four  colonies,  which  have  queens,  to  new 
stands,  and  place  empty  hives  where  they  stood.  Take  the 
brood  frame  from  each  on  which  you  will  find  the  queen,  and 
place  in  the  empty  hive  where  they  were  moved  from.     Add 


BEE    CULTURE, 


151 


three  more  brood  frames  to  each,  from  the  hive  removed  from 
there,  place  two  frames  of  foundation  or  empty  combs  in  the 
center  of  these,  put  a  division-board  on  the  outside  of  the 
combs,  and  close  the  hives.  The  hives  from  which  these 
were  taken  will  each  be  left  with  six  brood  frames ;  to  these 
add  two  empty  combs  or  sheets  of  foundation,  put  in  division 
boards  at  the  outsides,  and  close  for  twenty-four  or  thirty-sis 
hours.  You  now  have  four  new  colonies  with  queens,  four 
without  queens,  and  one  with  queen  cells. 

At  the  end  of  twenty-four  hours  you  will  find  queen  cells 
started,  or  preparations  to  start  them,  in  the  four  queenless 


Fig.  108.— Brood  Comb  with  Queen  Cell  Engrafted. 

colonies.  With  a  sharp,  narrow-bladed  knife,  cut  out  fout 
of  the  best  queen  cells  from  No.  1,  leaving  a  good  one  ;  cut  a 
triangular  hole,  about  one-and-a-half  inches  across,  from  the 
center  of  a  brood  frame  in  each  of  the  queenless  colonies,  and 
slip  in  a  queen  cell.  These  should  fit  pretty  tightly,  so  they 
will  not  drop  out  (fig.  1 08).  Observe  great  care  not  to  bruise 
any  of  them,  and  they  must  not  be  cut  so  ^lose  to  the  cell  as 
to  run  a  chance  of  injuring  the  young  queen  yet  in  the  cell. 
In  a  few  days  these  young  queens  will  be  hatched,  mated  and 
laying,  and  you  now  have  nine  colonies.  As  fast  as  the 
foundation  in  these  colonies  is  drawn  out,  the  comb  can  be 
spread  and  new  foundation  or  combs  added,   until   the  full 


152  BEE    CULTURE. 

complement  are  in  the  hive,  when  a  new  colony  may  be 
formed,  in  the  same  manner  as  at  the  start,  and  the  original 
queen  from  No.  1  can  be  put  in  this,  leaving  her  colony 
queenless  to  build  queen  cells.  In  ten  days  repeat  the 
operation  of  dividing  as  before,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  in- 
sert queen  cells,  foundation,  and  division  bo  irds  as  before. 
You  will  now  have  nineteen  colonies  from  the  four  in  early 
spring,  and  by  close  attention  in  supplying  good  foundation 
as  fast  as  they  are  prepared  to  receive  it,  with  a  good  white 
clover  and  basswood  yield,  or  a  few  acres  of  sweet  clover 
pasture,  you  may  expect  a  fine  surplus  yield  of  extracted 
honey. 

If  indifferent  to  the  amount  of  honey,  with  an  average  fair 
season,  another  division  can  be  made  with  safety,  and  your 
four  colonies  will  have  been  increased  to  thirty-seven.  If 
more  than  four  colonies  in  spring,  divisions  can  be  made 
oftener  by  alternating  the  best  queen  between  two  colonies, 
in  order  to  keep  a  supply  of  ripe  queen  cells  always  on  hand, 
or,  better  still,  keeping  nuclei  with  laying  queens,  to  supply 
as  fast  as  divisions  are  made. 

SWARMING. 

Several  methods  of  artificial  swarming  can  be  practiced 
with  success,  either  of  which  we  think  preferable  to  natural 
swarming,  which  is  aKvays  to  be  avoided  where  possible,  as 
it  occurs  just  at  the  season  when  least  desired.  If  the  bees, 
as  is  sometimes  the  case,  are  in  box  hives,  the  English 
method  of  drumming  up  is  among  the  most  feasible,  and  is 
executed  as  follows  :  Select  some  bright,  clear  day,  when 
the  workers  are  busily  engaged  in  the  fields,  remove  the  hive 
ten  to  twenty  feet  from  the  stand,  and  put  in  its  stead  a 
frame  hive,  with  half  or  two-thirds  its  complement  of  frames 
filled  with  bright,  clean  combs,  or  good  foundation  and 
division  boards  at  the  sides  ;  turn  the  old  hive  bottom  up, 
and  invert  an  empty  box  over  the  open  end  ;  now  blow  in  a 
little  smoke  from  the  lower  end  of  the  hive,  and  commence 
a  series  of  sharp  drumming  or  rapping  on  the  sides  of  the 
hive  with  a  small  hammer  or  scick  ;  do  not  drum  hard  enough 
to  loosen  the  combs  or  start  them  to  dripping ;  after  rapping 
four  or  five  minutes,  cease  for  a  minute,  then  resume  again, 
and  keep  it  up  for  five  minutes  longer,  or  until  the  bees  have 


BEE   CULTURE.  153 

deserted  the  hive  and  clustered  in  the  box,  which  is  a  pretty 
sure  indication  the  queen  is  with  them.  Now  cover  a  sheet 
over  the  old  hive,  and  empty  the  bees  from  the  box  on  a  sheet 
in  front  of  the  new  hive  on  the  old  stand  ;  watch  them  as  they 
crawl  up,  to  discover  the  queen  ;  if  she  goes  in,  place  the  old 
box  on  a  new  stand,  and  your  work  is  accomplished. 

If  the  bees  to  be  operated  with  are  in  frame  hives,  remove 
the  old  hive  to  a  distance,  and  place  a  new  or  empty  one  on 
the  old  stand,  when  the  bees  are  working  busiest ;  lift  the 
comb  on  which  you  find  the  queen  from  the  old  hive,  destroy 
queen  cells  on  it,  if  any,  and  place  in  the  center  of  the  new 
one,  with  the  queen  ;  fill  in  frames  each  side,  filled  with  clean 
combs  or  foundation,  proportionate  to  the  strength  of  the 
colony,  and  confine  to  the  center  of  the  hive  with  division 
boards ;  put  on  the  blanket  and  hive  cover ;  now  take  the 
frames  one  at  a  time  from  the  old  hive,  and  shake  most  of 
the  bees  off  in  front  of  the  new  hive,  destroy  all  the  queen 
cells  in  the  old  hive  but  the  two  best,  or  give  them  a  laying 
queen  after  destroying  or  removing  all  the  cells  ;  put  in  an 
empty  comb  or  frame  of  foundation  in  place  of  the  one  re- 
moved to  the  new  hive,  spread  the  blanket  over,  or  put  on 
second  story  with  sections  or  extracting  combs,  and  place  the 
hive  on  a  new  stand,  well  removed  from  the  old  one. 

Another  method  which  can  be  practiced  with  good  results, 
is  to  examine  the  colony  threatening  to  swarm,  remove  all 
queen  cells  started,  then  remove  the  hive  to  the  stand  occu- 
pied by  a  very  weak  colony,  and  remove  the  weak  colony  to 
the  stand  formerly  occupied  by  the  strong  one. 

In  all  cases  where  foundation  or  empty  combs  and  division 
boards  are  used  in  dividing  or  artificial  swarming,  care  must 
be  used  to  spread  the  brood  chamber  and  give  additional 
combs  or  foundation  as  fast  as  the  bees  are  ready  for  it.  It 
is  more  profitable  to  melt  up  dirty  combs,  or  those  with  dead 
brood,  and  use  instead  good  foundation.  If  there  is  a  doubt 
about  the  combs,  give  the  foundation  the  preference. 

PREPARING   FEED    FOR   VARIOUS   PURPOSES. 

If  for  spring  stimulation  to  breeding,  use  sugar,  honey  and 
water,  prepared  in  the  following  manner :  Coff'ee  A  sugar, 
one  pound ;  good  honey,  one  pound  ;  boiling  water,  one-and- 
a-half  pints — simmer  on  the  stove  five  minutes,  and  feed  at 


154  BEE    CULTURE. 

the  entrance  in  the  evening,  about  half  a  pound  per  colony, 
slightly  wanning  it ;  or,  if  no  other  bees  in  tlie  neighborhood, 
it  can  be  given  in  shallow  pans,  and  placed  in  the  noon-day 
sun,  at  some  distance  from  the  bees. 

For  feed  during  the  inclement  weather  of  May,  when  the 
hives  are  full  of  young  bees  and  brood,  and  no  honey  coming 
in,  one  pound  of  coffee  A  sugar  or  one  pound  of  honey,  and 
one  pint  of  boiling  water,  simmer  five  minutes. 

For  feeding  in  fall  for  winter  stores,  three  pounds  of  coffee 
A  sugar  and  one  pint  of  boiling  water,  simmer  five  minutes. 
Feed  this  inside  the  hive  with  a  division  board  feeder,  or  in 
a  tin  can  with  a  coarse  cloth  tied  over  it,  and  inverted  on 
the  frames.  For  fall  feeding,  estimate  the  amount  required, 
and  give  it  as  fast  as  the  bees  can  store  it  in  the  combs. 

For  winter  feeding,  use  four  parts  coffee  A  sugar  and  one 
part  water  ;  simmer  till  it  becomes  quite  hard  on  being- 
cooled,  mould  into  frames  of  one  inch  thickness,  and  lay  it 
on  top  the  frames,  using  sticks  underneath  one-half  inch 
square ;  or  mould  it  in  brood  frames,  tie  hemp  twine  around 
to  hold  it  in  place,  and  put  in  center  of  the  brood  chamber. 

GUARD    AGAINST   OVER-STOCKING. 

The  illustrious  Rev.  L.  L.  Langstroth  adopted  the  maxim, 
"  Keep  all  colonies  strong"  as  his  watchword.  We  supplement 
this  by  advising  to  provide  a  continual  honey  flow,  when  your 
colonies  rinJl  always  he  strong.  As  fast  as  you  increase  your 
apiary,  plant  or  scatter  an  additional  pound  of  self-propa- 
gating seeds  for  each  new  colony,  which  will  provide  good 
honey-secreting  bloom.  With  an  expenditure  of  say  tliirty 
cents  per  colony,  as  fast  as  increased,  in  well-selected  seeds, 
judiciously  sown,  you  need  borrow  no  trouble  about  feeding, 
though  you  increase  to  five  hundred  colonies. 

PROVIDE    CONTINUAL    HONEY   BLOOM   BY   PLANTING. 


D.  H.  HILL  LIBRARY 

North  Carolina  State  College 


The  BASSWOOD  or  LINDEN,  (Tilia  Americana). 


MOSES    QCIXBY. 


RAPE. 


WILLOW. 


MINT. 


FIGWOKT. 


RESPIRATOKY  ORGANS  OF  THE  HONEY  BEE. 


GEORGE  W. 

YORK,  Editor. 

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